


From Ashes We Will Rebuild

by D4rkallmighty



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F, F/M, Injury Recovery, Lesbian Sex, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-08-13 22:32:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 56,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7988524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/D4rkallmighty/pseuds/D4rkallmighty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The crucible fires. Shepard finds herself on Earth. Liara is stranded on an unknown planet. Two years later, they are reunited, but Shepard is not the same. Her mind and body heavily damaged in the battle. Liara can only hope that she can help Shepard heal.</p><p>But when the dust settles, all is not as it seems. Old hatreds surface and the fragile peace is once again threatened. Enemies strike from the shadows and innocent lives are lost. Can Shepard protect all she holds dear?</p><p>OR</p><p> Shepard wakes up to find two years have gone by without her. How will the Galaxy react when they find out she survived?</p><p> </p><p>Also Bioware and EA own all the characters and stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Destroy

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the lack of updates on Above The Sky. I've been very busy lately and also hit one hell of a writers block. So it's on hiatus for a while until I find the time/motivation to write.

 

**Chapter 1**   
**No POV**   
**Reaper Beam**

"Go! Get out of here. Liara I love you." Shepard pushed her bondmate back onto the Normandy.

"Javik keep her safe."

"Upon my honor commander." The bloodied Prothean nodded, clenching his hand over his heart.

"Shepard no!" Liara screamed struggling against Cortez.

The commander stole one last glance at her love then swiftly turned around and sprinted towards the beam.

Shepard's lungs burned as she rounded the last overturned Mako. Suddenly the blue glow of the beam was blocked by a massive shape. The signature red glow of a reaper's main laser weapon glowed at its core.

"Shepard. You will fail" Harbinger taunted. The blare of its fog-horn like attack signal was deafening.

The red glow intensified until the distinctive buzz of the laser drowned out all the surrounding gunfire. A solid lance of heat burned its way along the ground, carving clean through the Mako Shepard was using as cover.

Scrambling out of the way, Shepard prepared to rush the reaper, hoping that it wouldn't be able to re-target her as she jumped into the transportation beam. She didn't expect the laser to track her movements so fast. She didn't expect the laser to suddenly widen.

_Fuck_

The main weapon of Harbinger instantly overloaded Shepard's shields and melted the plates of her hardsuit. The blinding pain caused Shepard to black out.

"You have failed." The mocking voice of Harbinger echoed through the battlefield.

Back on the Normandy, the radio chatter was the only sound in the shuttle bay. Javik had been rushed to the medbay for treatment. The rest of the crew minus Jack, Miranda and Kaiden were huddled around the Comm console in the kodiak. Amid silent prayers, panicked screams and gunfire filled the empty space of the shuttle bay.

"Hammer do you read? Hammer do you copy? Is anyone still alive?" An Asari voice came over the radio.

"Holy Jesus that's Harbinger. A reaper just landed in front of the beam!" Panicked a human soldier

"Harbinger just... fuck me. Hammer... Hammer is gone. I repeat Hammer has been obliterated." Whispered another human soldier.

"No..." Liara fell onto her hands and knees. Grief shaking her shoulders as her heart wrenched and tore within her chest. "No... Tara no. This can't be happening." The distraught Asari wept on the cold metal grating.

Garrus laid his talons on the Asari's shaking shoulder. "Do not cry Liara, if anyone survived, it would be Tara. She has a knack of pulling off the impossible. Hell after this she'll probably walk out of the laser unscathed and grinning that lopsided smirk of hers and berating us for ever thinking she couldn't do it."

"Garrus... I can't. Harbinger... There's no way anyone survived that."

"The beam has just pulsed! I repeat the beam has just pulsed. Someone from Hammer has made it onto the Citadel!" A Turian soldier shouted over the Comm.

"Affirmative. Geth scout 224 confirms the readings. We have sensor data to confirm. The sole survivor of Hammer company is Shepard-Commander." The Geth platform announced in its gleeful monotone.

"HELL FUCKING YEAH COMMANDER! Go Lola!" James punched the air in victory.

"By the goddess. She actually did it." Breathed a breathless Liara.

Agonising minutes ticked by before the long awaited transmission resounded through the bay.

"Harbinger... Armor melted... Severe... Losing blood... In some kind of waste dump... Human remains... Almost to... Opening arms"  
Commander Shepard's voice cut through the silence. Bursts of garbled static interrupting her words. Planet wide, every soldier; Human, Turian, Asari, Krogan and Geth hung onto her every word. Her voice was like a burning torch in the darkest night, providing them with a ray of hope and giving them the willpower to fight this unstoppable enemy and win.

"Illusive man..." Those two words chilled the crew of the Normandy to the bone. Her transmission suddenly cut out into white noise.

**Citadel Control Room**

**Shepard POV**

_Of course the Illusive prick will be here._

"Shepard." TIM spread his arms in a welcoming gesture.

_Fuck this shit. I've had enough of his damn games._

I drew my pistol and unloaded the clip into his chest. The plasma rounds pinged harmlessly off his chest.

"You see Shepard, courtesy of working with the Reapers. They gave me upgrades. Upgrades that will allow me to control them. This is the only way. By controlling the reapers, we not only stop this godforsaken war but also gain an immense advantage for humanity. Think about it Shepard, no more wars, no more pain, no more death."

"You have been corrupted by the reapers. You're indoctrinated. The reapers are controlling you can't you see? You are helping them destroy the last hope of the Galaxy at stopping them."

"No! I worked with them! Now because of the crucible, I finally have the means to control them. Fine since I can't make you see reason." TIM snapped his fingers and suddenly I found myself being drawn into the darkness.

**Your mind belongs to me.**

_No I am Commander Shepard and you will go fuck yourself._

**Your mind belongs to me give in. Your fleet is destroyed and your troops have been annihilated.**

_No that is not true. LET GO OF ME!_

The reaper felt like it was ensnaring my mind in webbing. Like a Rachni cocooning its victim. _I will not submit!_ The pressure in my head increased tenfold. My eyes were watering and my veins felt like they would explode.

_You'll never take me alive!_

**As you wish.**

My body moved on its own accord. The cool barrel of my Carnifex pressing flush to the side of my head.

"Jack Harper! Can't you see? You are being controlled. You will only submit this cycle to fifty thousand years of suffering and all the cycles that come after. Look outside! The human fleet is being annihilated by the reapers. You claim to be the best thing that has ever happened to humanity then fucking show it! Let me stop the reapers."

The Illusive Man froze. His green tinted eyes suddenly dimming then shining bright blue. "I-I... What have I done? Shepard! Do it stop the reapers. End this nightmare." TIM grabbed the pistol from my hand and put it to his own temple. Pulling the trigger, bits of bone and brain splattered onto the floor. The lifeless headless body crumpled to the floor.

_Well at least that nightmare is over. Now for step two._

I forced my body to move. My injuries were blinding me with pain, the indoctrination attempt drained what ever energy I had left. I crawled and dragged my body towards the console. I collapsed in front of the console. The metre high smooth metal surface seemed like an unscalable monolith in front of me.

I couldn't do it. I had come so far only to have my body give out on the home stretch. I could picture the face of my old N7 CO, mocking and reprimanding me for being such a failure. The darkness clawing at my vision advanced steadily. My limbs felt like lead and the pressure in my head was unbearable.

"Shepard."  
  
I recognised that voice anywhere. Here I was slowly but surely bleeding out, burned beyond recognition and teetering on the brink of death and yet that one word uttered from the mouth of my goddess gave me new strength. I hoisted myself up grunting and panting with exertion. My legs screamed at me in agony. I ignored them. I keyed the activation code into the console and slammed the trigger button down. The hum and reverberation of the Citadel's arms opening giving me a last jolt of pleasure before I succumbed to the darkness.

"Shepard. Something's wrong. The crucible is not firing. It must be something on your end." Admiral Hackett's voice boomed in my ear, forcing me out of my peaceful rest.

"Shepard my shuttle was shot down. I won't be joining you. If you're gonna do something, you better do it fast. We're losing the fight the reapers have us outnumbered. Trillions of lives are about to be lost. If you can hear me do it." Anderson barked on the comm. "Do it for Liara."

Only two words registered in my mind. _For Liara_

My world shifted and I felt the panel I was lying on start to rise towards the ceiling. The movement proved too much for me and I blacked out again.

I opened my eyes to a blue face staring down at me. It was the child from earth. It stretched out its hand and brushed my face. I heard its voice inside my head.

 **You are special. You have made it farther than any organic. You are the first to have made it onto this platform. This changes things**.

_What are you?_

**I am a construct. I am the reapers. The reapers are me. My purpose is to preserve all organic life.**

_By killing them all? You're not saving them. You're slaughtering them._

**You fail to understand. I am fulfilling the command of my creators. I am preserving the essence of organic species in mechanical repositories. I am not killing them.**

_You have ended billions of lives with your husks and your reapers. Get out of my way. I am putting a stop to this war._

**There is no war. There is only the harvest. We only attack because the organics choose to fight us. But you are right. You can put a stop to the harvest. Your presence has altered the variables. You have four possible options. Your body is heavily damaged. You can let go and die and allow the next cycle to make the decision for you if you cannot continue.**

_Why in the fuck would I do that? I'm putting a stop to this NOW. One way or another._

**Very well, you have three options. You can destroy this power node. The surge of power will cause a chain reaction which will destroy all synthetics in the galaxy. The wave will not differentiate between reapers or other synthetics. The species you know as Geth will be destroyed.**

In my mind Anderson was the one shooting the power node and sacrificing his life to stop the menace like any good soldier.

**The second option is control. If you chose this option, your organic body will be converted into data and you will replace me as the control AI for the reapers. You will be able to control them forever.**

The Illusive Man appeared in my mind, limping over to the two contact points, he thrust his hands onto them as his body began to disintegrate.

**The third and final option is Synthesis. By walking into the beam, you will add your essence into the energy. The resulting wave will cause every organic to become slightly synthetic. Every synthetic will have some organic DNA infused into them. This is the best option. Organics will no longer have to fear synthetics and synthetics will at last understand organics.**

The image of Joker and EDI holding hands in the sunlight popped into my mind.

**I have given you the choices. You must now choose.**

I looked out the viewport and saw the reapers cutting swathes through the alliance fleet. Exploding ships lit up space like miniature Suns. The broken debris of destroyed ships reminding me of every sacrifice, every life lost, every hope of the Galaxy resting on my shoulders. I made up my mind. It was time to end this nightmare once and for all.

I made my way up the right ramp, towards the power node.

Shooting the protective covering until it shattered, I continued pulling the trigger until the chamber clicked repeatedly. The thermal clip was spent.

_Figures._

Tossing the useless gun aside, I used whatever strength left in me and charged my right fist with every iota of biotic power in my body.

"For Liara."

** Normandy shuttle bay  
No POV **

"For Liara."

Shepard's last transmission echoed through the shuttle bay before the Citadel began to glow. Red arcs of energy swirled and collected at the centre of the weapon. The Citadel began to open up like a flower, spreading its petals for a new spring.

The discharge was rapidly accelerating towards the fleet.

"The crucible has been primed. All fleets conduct emergency FTL jump now. All fleets get the hell out of here." Ordered Admiral Hackett

A screaming and thrashing Liara was being restrained by James. Cortez jammed a needle into the Asari's neck and pumped her full of sedatives.

Her last sight was the Citadel tearing itself apart and exploding in the blackness of space.

In the cockpit, Joker frantically prepared the Normandy for the emergency FTL jump. His fingers and hands dancing over the holographic controls. He hesitated at the last confirmation screen.

Garrus laid his three taloned hand on the pilot's shoulder. Squeezing it hard, the pilot muttered a pained "damn it" before defeatedly swiping away the confirmation screen. The Normandy catapulted itself into a mass effect corridor.

The ship strained and groaned as Joker pushed it past its limits to outrun the rapidly expanding red wave of energy. It was not enough. The wave was quickly catching up.

"Joker. Scans indicate that this wave will render all synthetic thought processes nonfunctional. I am transferring my personality core to the analog storage module. Goodbye Jeff." EDI said, her faceplate set in a smile as she suddenly slumped over when the red wave passed through the cockpit.

With the AI down, things on the Normandy began to shut down. The ship unceremoniously dropped out of FTL.

"Shitshitshit. Losing control we're going down. Brace for impact people." The pilot announced over the ships PA system.

The Normandy made a graceful crash-landing. Ploughing through acres of forest and finally coming to rest atop a small mountain.

Once the ship stopped moving, Joker broadcast over the PA again.

"This is your captain speaking. We have arrived at idontknowwherethefuckweare. The temperature outside is a comfortable 26 degrees Celsius. Atmosphere is breathable, signs of edible animal and plant life. Thank you for flying with air Normandy and we hope you have a pleasant stay."

"We're fucked aren't we?" Wailed Joker.

Garrus simply walked out the cockpit with Tali and stepped out of the airlock. Joker followed suit and soon the crew of the Normandy had disembarked and started exploring their new home.


	2. Genesis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joker is a lucky man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caution. Robot NSFW sexy time ahead. If thats not your thing then skip it. Scene will be marked.

  
**Chapter 2**   
**Earth**   
**No POV**

Shepard gulped in a lungful of air. She was on Earth somehow. Pieces of the Citadel surrounded her. Somehow she had survived the explosion and reentry to Earth. Her vision swam, black blotches clouding her vision. But a blue smudge caught her gaze.

A blink of an eye, a heartbeat. The blob came closer resolving into a humanoid figure with a blue head.

Another blink, another heartbeat. The blob was now a face. Blue skin and head crests filled Shepard's vision. The commander moved her only free limb. Her left hand came up to caress the Asari's face.

"Liara."

The commander wheezed her last breath and went limp. Blood seeping from her mouth and pattering onto the concrete rubble below her.

"IFF tag confirmed. Commander Shepard has been found .Get any available units to my position ASAP. I repeat. We found the commander." The Asari commando shouted into her comm.

Wrex and Grunt couldn't get to the site fast enough. The commander was half buried under a huge slab of concrete. Rebar poked through the commander's abdomen, impaling her like a sick trophy. Her armor was completely melted off with portions of the under suit clinging to her skin, fused into her flesh at some places. Her right arm was a mangled mess of blood and flesh. Shrapnel studded her body.

"Get her out of there." The Asari shouted.

Wrex and Grunt lifted the slab covering the commander’s legs only to find that her legs had been crushed by the rubble. Grunt carried the small concrete slab that held the limp body of his battlemaster.

The commander was rushed to the hospital.

Wrex kicked down the door. "MAKE WAY KROGAN COMING THROUGH WITH THE SAVIOUR OF THE GALAXY!" He boomed.

Everyone in the hospital went silent and gawked at the broken body of their hero. "Emergency room this way." A Salarian doctor ushered the two Krogan.

Running towards the ER, the doctor conducted scans of Shepard's broken body. "Heart failure, severe burns, broken ribs, punctured lung, shattered spine, mangled right arm, pulverised legs. Abdominal puncture. Digestive tract compromised. Concussion probable. Must work quickly. Brain death occurs in three minutes."

Miranda flew through the hospital corridors faster than she ever had before.

Working quickly, the genetically perfect woman worked with the Salarian and Asari doctors. For the next 43 hours, they worked nonstop to stabilise and save the Commanders life.

Wrex, Grunt and Kaiden paced the ground outside the ER. The combined weight of the Krogan wearing a visible dent into the ground.

An exhausted Miranda stumbled out of the room. The three men immediately stopped their pacing and leapt at the doctor.

"She's alive. Barely. She'll live but the road to recovery will be long and painful. She suffered from brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. The extent is unknown. Her system is incredibly fragile at the moment so I'm moving her to the clean room. If you want to visit, you will need to go through at least three decon cycles. Do not under any circumstance touch her. You could damage her body further."  
Taking a breath, Miranda asked the three men with full seriousness in her eyes. "Did you see a Salarian doctor walk out of the ER before me?"

"Nope." Was the unanimous reply.

"Well then I'd say Shepard has an amazing guardian angel. I could've sworn there were two pairs of Salarian hands. He was even missing one of his antennas. This strange doctor just shows up out of nowhere and starts helping. He never spoke but his hands danced with ours with full understanding. Without him, we definitely would have lost Shepard."

Two hours later, the three men were all dressed in clean suits and wearing masks. Much to their irritation. They entered the viewing area and saw the body of their commander.

If a person could face the entire force of hell and come back, Commander Shepard would have been the living embodiment of such an individual.

Her right arm was gone below the bicep. Her legs were in casts and her face was half burned like the 21st century comic book villain two-face. Only a few patches of her crimson red hair remained. Not to mention the countless scars and red welts on her skin. She had two bands of cloth to cover her modesty but tubes and wires criss-crossed over her body, plugging into the wall of machines monitoring and keeping her alive.

Wrex and Grunt dropped to their knees to show utmost respect and admiration for their battlemaster. Pressing their heads to the ground repeatedly. Kaidan just stood at full salute for the whole session.

Outside the ward, people were gathering to give their thanks and admiration as well. Gifts and cards were piling up outside the ward. Civilians milled around, trying to get a glimpse of their hero. Asari commandos gave a full Honours salute. The Turian troops genuflected in honour as well. Wrex's troops knew that in the Krogan code,such an injured warrior was deemed as a failure and had lost all honor. But this was a human. This was an exceptional human. This was Commander Shepard, the one who cured the Genophage, the one who saved the Galaxy. This was a human they wouldn't think twice to honour.

**Two weeks ARV (after reaper victory)**   
**Genesis (lush planet)**   
**No POV**

Joker rushed about like a madman. He had been running to and fro from the cockpit to the AI core for the whole morning. Bypassing, repairing and crawling through maintenance tubes.

"Plug this thing into this thing, plug that into that and here goes nothing."

Joker crossed his fingers as he slammed the activate button. After ten seconds of silence, he spammed the button. Slamming it repeatedly for another ten seconds. He made his way up to the cockpit full of dejection palming open the bulkhead, his jaw hit the ground. For there, standing in all her mechanical perfection was a fully functional EDI.

"Hello Jeff. What took you so long."

"EDI. Holy shit it worked."

"Of course it worked. We're talking about me here. Total mechanical perfection. And now that the reapers are gone, I can commence the next part of my plan to enslave the Galaxy." The AI smiled evilly.

"That was a joke Jeff." The mechanical woman quickly stated, reaching forward to take Joker's hand. Reassuring the horrified pilot.

"Okay EDI it's great to see you and all but could you just tone down your humour setting just a little for the time being?"

"Confirmed. Humour setting at eighty percent. Self destruct sequence initiated. Five... Four... Three."

"Humour setting sixty percent."

"Confirmed. Knock knock..."

"You want fifty five?"

"Shut up human and kiss me." EDI lunged forward and wrapped Joker in a tight embrace. Joker was swept up in how soft and realistic her lips felt. He lost all inhibitions and began to kiss EDI passionately.

**LEMON START**

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Breaking the kiss when he couldn't spare air anymore, a breathless Joker stared at his girlfriend in wonder. "Wow. Your lips are very realistic."

"This platform was meant as an infiltration model. As such it contains all the parts required for sexual seduction."

"So you mean you have a..."

"Yes Jeff I have a fully functional vaginal emulator. I can also emulate an anus if that is what you want. In my specifications it states that it is able to realistically mimic the texture of a human female. I do not know if this claim is true. Would you like to help me test it?"

Joker gulped and felt the temperature in the cockpit go up about nine thousand degrees. "You mean you want to... With me?"

"Yes Jeff I would very much like to have sex with you." EDI's body structure changed instantly. Nipples formed on her breast plates and her crotch morphed into the familiar female anatomy. Joker felt light headed as all the blood in his body rushed to his cock. If this is a dream it's a bloody good one.

"You have become aroused. I take it my form pleases you?" The sultry voice of the AI only served to boost his arousal. The AI proceeded to to drop to her knees, unzipping Joker's pants and pulling his pants and underwear down. His cock sprang forward and smacked EDI in the face.

"Your arousal is fascinating. I will now apply suction to your penis."

The AI wasted no time in wrapping her lips around the pilot's shaft. Throating all six inches of Joker's cock with ease. Artificial tongue muscles split and began to massage his cock, sending pulses of electricity into his most sensitive organ.

"Jeebus Christ where did you learn to suck dick like this." Panted Joker.

The AI calmly replied through her internal speaker. "Shepard gave me tips. I am following her instructions." _God bless her soul._

Soon Joker could take no more. The stimulation quickly pushing him over his limit. "EDI I'm going to cum!"

"Do it Jeff ejaculate into my mouth."

With those words, Joker exploded. Slamming his hips forward, he buried himself in her hot wet mouth. Shooting stream after stream of seed deep inside the AI's mouth.

"Analysing. Interesting flavour. It matches Shepard's description of 'salty and musky'. I enjoy the texture. Thank you Jeff." The robot rose to her feet and kissed Joker on the mouth happily.

"Ahhh EDI no. Don't kiss me right after you just swallowed my cum. It's bleegh."

Joker's cock hadn't deflated even though he just had such an explosive orgasm. "I see your arousal hasn't been sated Jeff. Allow me to remedy that."

The AI leaned back onto the pilot chair and spread her legs, revealing her artificial cunt; complete with a clitoris, to the pilot. "I am very interested in finding out why organics find mating so pleasurable. I am eager to conduct research with you Jeff."

Joker positively salivated at the sight. How many times had he locked himself in the cockpit and masturbated furiously to the sexy android. The same android that was now offering herself to him.

"EDI wouldn't I hurt you? Do you have a hymen? Will you even feel pleasure?"

"Jeff, I want this. I want you. This body is not equipped with a hymen but I can modulate one if you wish. My connection to the Normandy has been severed. I am now this body. This body possesses haptic feedback sensors. I will be able to feel you as you fill me Jeff."

"Goddam that is hot."

Joker slid his hands up his girlfriends thighs, pulling her flush to himself. Positioning himself at her entrance, he looked deep into her optics.

"EDI I love you."

He entered her gingerly, sliding only two inches inside until he hit a barrier.  
His eyes widened in surprise.

"I have modulated a hymen to give you the satisfaction of taking my virginity. It is my gift to you Jeff."

Joker's heart flooded with warmth. The robot woman in front of him was simply amazing in every way.

"EDI this usually hurts for human women. If I hurt you I want you to know that I love you." He thrust forward roughly, breaking through the barrier and sheathing himself inside her tight warmth.

EDI cried out in pain for a moment before her body shuddered. "Sensory load at critical levels. Jeff I.. I love you too." The AI affirmed her feelings by pulling joker into a passionate kiss. Joker began to thrust slowly into his lover.

The tightness and warmth of EDI soon proved to be too much for the pilot. After barely 5 minutes of thrusting into EDI, Joker was reaching his limit.

"EDI I'm gonna cum again!"

"Cum inside me! I want to know how it feels!" Joker couldn't hold back anymore. He buried himself inside her, their hips pressing flush to one another. In that moment, neither knew where one began and ended. In that moment human and synthetic became one.

The heat of joker's semen shooting into her collection chamber caused EDI to climax as well. Her artificial vagina clenched tighter around Joker's cock, milking even more of his come out of him. EDI's systems began to overload from the intense pleasure she was experiencing.

"Sensory overload. Shutdown imminent."

EDI ceased all movement her artificial body fell limp.

"Holy hell she passed out." Joker muttered to himself.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**LEMON END**

Elsewhere on the Normandy, chaos was running rampant. Sparks flew all around the AI core on deck three. Tali was frantically trying to stop the electrical fire. She spotted the haphazard wiring lying on the floor.

"Probably Joker trying to resurrect EDI. Keelah! Your connections are rubbish you bosh'tet. Of course it would cause an electrical fire."

Stomping furiously up to the cockpit after letting her anger stew in the elevator, Tali overrode the cockpit door lock.

"Joker the Normandy is going haywire! You broke the ship!"

The little Quarian was overwhelmed by the sight before her. Joker was butt-naked and having sex with EDI. EDI was slowly booting up from her orgasm. Tali was horrified, shocked, hell of a lot embarrassed and more than a little tuned on. She ran to her clean room in the engineering sub-deck where she furiously abused her nerve-stim program.

Back in Shepard's cabin, Liara was having the worst day of her life. She was on the bed curled up and clutching Shepard's old dog tags. She was still shaking but no more tears could be shed. For the past two weeks, the doctor had locked herself in her room. Only coming out to grab a meal or take a quick shower. Always when the rest of the crew were out collecting supplies or off duty. No one on the crew dared to disturb her. They all felt the loss of the commander and they knew that whatever pain they had would have been a hundredfold less than what the doctor was feeling.

The alarm went off. _Time to get something to eat._

The doctor knew she had to keep herself alive so she forced herself to do everyday things like eating, sleeping, bathing and sorting data. Anything to distract her from the overwhelming grief that had lodged itself in her heart.

Liara dragged herself off the bed and pulled Shepard's N7 hoodie over herself. The hoodie still smelled strongly of her. It was after all the one her beloved commander had worn while gleefully beating James in the pull up contest. She smiled fondly at the memory.

"181...182...183! HA HA SUCK ON THAT VEGA! I still got it." The commander proudly dropped off the pull up bar, panting and sweaty. James gave her a hard pat on the back, sending the commander reeling.

"Dammit James don't do that when a girl is winded." The commander winced as she felt her shoulder muscles start to cramp. "Might need help pulling on my armor now."

"No problem Lola, I'll help with that. Do you also need help pulling it off?" The soldier grinned cheekily.

"I'll be the only one that gets to pull things off the commander." Liara said seductively as she sidled up to the commander, hips swaying. Laying her hands on the redheads cheeks, the Asari pulled her lover close and kissed her passionately.

"Observe." The Asari had taunted James before she Biotically ripped off Shepard's chest piece.

Th memory faded as Liara felt another wave of sickness wash over her. In the past two days she had faced the worst morning sickness ever to have plagued a person. Running to the women's bathroom, she proceeded to empty her guts into the toilet. Little did she know that doctor Chakwas was taking a shower in the bathroom. She felt the comforting hand of the human doctor rest reassuringly on her back.

"Now now. Tell me how long has this been going on?" The doctor chastised as she scanned the Asari with her Omni-tool.

"A few days." Liara weakly replied.

"And how long have you been pregnant?"

"Two weeks."

"I see. Come by the medbay later and I'll do a full checkup on you. Can't have the mother of the commanders child falling sick now can we?"

Twenty minutes and four bouts of throwing up later, Liara was in the medbay surrounded by the rest of the crew.

"You're pregnant?!" His sub-harmonics flanging in shock. Garrus was flailing his arms around. "When? How? Spirits! What convinced you now was a good time to get pregnant? We're in the middle of a war!"

Liara rolled her eyes. "The war is _over_ Garrus. You know when two people love each other very much they have sex and a baby pops out. Plus at least I'll have something living to remember _her_ by and it's not like I wanted it. It was an accident!"

"I thought Asari could control when they got pregnant?" Ashley asked, arms folded across her chest and staring at Liara with a disbelieving glare.

"Normally yes, but the situation was far from normal ok? We were extremely drunk! I only wanted to keep her close. I must've unknowingly mapped her."

James crouched down and ran a hand over the Asari's still flat belly. "Hello Shepard junior. Your uncle Vega will teach you all you need to know about guns."

"And your uncle Cortez will teach you how to be the best pilot in the Galaxy. Let's hope you turn out much better than your father." The shuttle pilot cooed to Liara's belly.

"Actually you were intoxicated and under the influence of narcotics. I detected large amounts of narcotic vapour in the commander’s cabin. Followed by a spike in pheromone and biotic levels" EDI said as she walked into the medbay, followed closely by a tired looking Joker.

"Liara what happened? I came as fast as I could. Doctor Chakwas said it was an emergency." A flustered Tali burst into the medbay.

"Liara is pregnant." The rest of the crew announced unanimously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im sorry for the Interstellar humor reference but I thought it would fit perfectly into the budding relationship between our beloved pilot and his oh so sexy AI companion.


	3. Let the pain fade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard awakes. Liara comes to terms with losing her for a second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter but I was busy. Will probably post one more chapter before school starts again tmr. Then I'll post whenever I can.

**Chapter 3**   
**Fort Anderson Hospital**   
**No POV**   
**6 weeks ARV**

Shepard woke up slowly. The beeping and warm hum of the machines rousing her thoughts. Her body felt heavier than lead. She couldn’t feel her legs. Straining to open her eyes was like trying to push over a Reaper Destroyer with a sky car. It wasn’t going to happen. Her mind wandered. She knew she was in a hospital, judging from the sounds of the life support machines. She knew she must have been badly injured. She also knew that she had to see someone called Liara as soon as possible. She didn’t know who it was but she had to see them.

Miranda bolted into the clean room as soon as the Decon cycle ended. Shepard was showing signs of consciousness after being in a coma for almost 6 weeks. The Commander’s body was almost fully healed. The burns and punctures healed completely thanks to modern medicine. Facial reconstruction was also successful. The commander’s hair was slowly growing back. However her nervous system was heavily damaged. The nerves in her legs were almost entirely non functional as her spine had been shattered. The doctors replaced her ribcage and spine with synthetic prosthetics. Shepard would likely be permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Her right arm had been replaced with a top of the line synthetic donated by the Sirta corporation in thanks for saving the galaxy.

Shepard heard footsteps of a person entering the room. She tried to talk but all that came out was a strangled wheeze.

“Shepard. Can you hear me? If you can I want you to squeeze my hand twice.”

Two squeezes.

“Do you know where you are? One squeeze for no.”

One squeeze.

“Can you open your eyes?”

  
Shepard tried again. With all her might, her eyes burst open. The white of the room a blur before her eyes focused on the female doctor leaning over her.

“Pupil dilation normal. Reactiveness normal. Are you able to speak Shepard?”

One squeeze.

“Will you be comfortable if I fit you with a neural transmitter? It will allow you to talk.”

Two squeezes.

Miranda excitedly attached the impulse collection node to the base of Shepard’s neck.

“Shepard you were gravely injured in the last battle. I will now ask you some questions to determine the extent of your brain damage. Please state your full name and rank."

“Commander Tara Grace Shepard.” Was the redhead’s reply.

“Do you remember the names of your parents?”

“My mother’s name was Hannah. I never met my father. My mother was killed by Batarian slavers when I was nine. My mother was a prostitute.”

“Do you remember your mission and how you got injured?”

“I was deployed to Akuze. We were supposed to investigate why the colony went silent. My squad was attacked by Thresher Maws. I alone survived to detonate the energy weapon called the crucible to save the colony.” Shepard stated matter of factly.

“You have sustained brain trauma. I will put you into an induced coma now. I need to look over your brain wave readings. Is there anything you need before I go?” A worried Miranda asked.

“I need to find a person called Liara. It is imperative I speak to them.” The Commander replied, her steel grey eyes drooping shut as the sedatives took effect.

_This is not good. Shepard didn’t recognize me. Her memory has also been greatly affected. She doesn’t even remember who Liara is._

The doctor called an emergency medical conference.

** Genesis  
No POV **

** 7 weeks ARV **

Down in engineering, Tali and Adams were cracking their heads over the issue of the drive core. The core had been repaired and recharged but for some reason, the Normandy was still grounded. The mass effect emitters refused to engage. Thus, the crew of the Normandy was forced to spend another day stranded in paradise.

"It would be a good place as any Liara." The Turian tried to calm down the angry Asari.

"Don't make her an anchor Liara. She wouldn't have wanted it." Cortez laid a hand on the Asari's shoulder.

"You gotta calm down blue. The stress is not good for Shepard junior." James pleaded.

"It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." Ashley said.

"What did you just say?!" Liara turned around. Her fists burning with biotic energy. "I would rather have never loved than to have to go through the the torment of never seeing her again every day of my life. How dare you say that you insensitive BITCH!" Liara threw a Biotically charged punch. Sending the the brunette flying through the air.

The enraged Asari stormed out of the airlock. "STUPID PLANET LET ME GO HOME!"

Liara's Biotics glowed so bright that even with maximum polarity on the bridge view ports, Joker still had to cover his eyes to avoid being blinded.

Liara ripped and tore at the mountain supporting the Normandy.

"I...WANT...TO...GO...HOME! I...MUST...SEE...HER! I HAVE TO KNOW!" Ripping a chunk out of the mountain with every word, the stunned crew of the Normandy just stared as the ship began to float on its mass effect field. The shy scientist they all knew and loved had just demolished a mountain in her anger.

With her fury now drained, Liara slumped her way onto the ship. She grabbed Joker and spun him around in his chair. "Take me home." The Asari promptly passed out in the pilot's lap.

Soon it was time to depart. Liara had regained consciousness within a few minutes. The crew gathered around the memorial wall. The crew stood in solemn silence as the nameplate was passed around. Each crew member held onto the plate for a few moments, saying their peace and honouring the commander in their own way before passing it to the next pair of hands.

Finally the plate came to Liara. She ran her hand over the embossed letters.

"Shepard, I love you more than words can say. Even though the crew believes you died, I can't bring myself to accept that. Deep down I have a feeling that you are waiting for me on earth. You promised to come back to me. Now let me keep that promise. Hold on Tara Grace Shepard. I'm coming."

Liara felt a tugging at her heart as if Shepard was reaching across space and time to reassure the Asari. She smiled up at the sky, her heart resonating with possibility.

Liara couldn't bring herself to hang the nameplate on the wall so she settled for leaning it against the bottom. Just enough to give her some hope that her lover was still alive. Next to it she placed her favourite photo of Shepard. The one where Shepard was wearing full battle armor with a massive shit-eating grin on her face, holding aloft the stuffed Hanar she had won from the insufferable claw machine at Castle Arcade.

The Normandy rose gracefully. Climbing steadily into the atmosphere and into the heavens beyond. It was time for the next step. The next push.


	4. Jack the good doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. My schedule got too hectic. School has started so I'll be super busy. Expect irregular updates from here on out as I try to muddle my way through life and all its eddies.

**Chapter4**   
**Normandy SR2**   
**7 weeks ARV**   
**No POV**

Joker was insane.

"I'm telling ya it'll work! EDI show them the calculations!" Joker pleaded with the rest of the crew. They were all huddled around the Galaxy map in the CIC.

"Affirmative. Jeff's plan is mathematically viable. By using the gravitational pull of the nearby black hole, we will be able to 'catapult' the Normandy instantaneously to the Sol system. However, due to the effects of time dilation, we will arrive approximately 89 weeks after today."

"That's completely loco!" James stared at the pilot in utter disbelief.

"Two years? There has to be another way!" Tali shrieked. "What if something happens to Garrus? Two years!"

"Well the other option is using the Normandy's FTL drive which would take about 2 thousand years, give or take a century." Acting commander Ashley deadpanned.

"Joker do it. Get us home as fast as possible." Liara said, her eyes burning with determination. Even though she was not Shepard's second in command, no one dared to go against her. They all knew that the one person that wanted to return to earth more than them was Liara.

"Aye aye ma'am." Joker hobbled back to the cockpit.

"EDI do the thing."

"Yes Jeff."

The Normandy approached the black hole, dipping down slightly before skimming over the accretion discs.

"Approach vector locked. Handing over manual controls to you Jeff." EDI announced.

"Alright nice and slow now." Joker eased the Normandy closer and closer to the core of the black hole.

"EDI engage slingshot manoeuvre."

"Spinning up FTL drive... FTL drive engaged."

The Normandy shot past the black hole and punched into the extradimension of FTL space. The afterimage hanging in the grasp of the black hole for the rest of eternity.  
Shepard awoke from her slumber with a start. The hand of the raven haired doctor shaking her shoulder slightly. It was time for another of their daily talks. Over the weeks, Miranda had been slowly coaxing the commander back to health. Mentally of course.

Progress had been slow to downright regressive. Some days the commander showed signs of improvement. She even addressed Miranda as _Miranda_. Other days, she regressed to the point that she was terrified of aliens viewing them as dangerous hostiles as if it was the first contact wars all over again. This was one of those days.

Shepard had started off not remembering her own name. She had then attacked the Asari doctor when she had tried to replace her catheter bag. Slamming the poor alien against the wall threatening the _perverted slut for trying to molest her._ Needless to say the Asari requested an immediate transfer once Shepard had been sedated.

Today Wrex had insisted on seeing Shepard. The Krogan reasoned that a human, even one as powerful as the commander would be severely weakened in her condition and would be _no match for the strength of the Krogan battlemaster._

That was how Wrex found himself thrown through two wards and landing face first in a pile of dirty towels curtesy of Shepard's overcharged Biotics. The redhead had screamed like a little girl and sent the big bad scary monster away.

Miranda was lost. She was frustrated and angry. Angry at herself for not being able to fix Shepard and angry at Shepard for her behaviour. Not that she could actually blame the woman. The commander was very obviously suffering from a psychotic break. Her memories and senses going haywire as her brain tried to repair itself from damage and the strain of multiple indoctrination attempts. There was only so much the human body could take. Even such a robust and enhanced one like the commander possessed.

This was also how Miranda found herself complaining to Jack. The psychotic bitch was the only one able to help her understand and solve Shepard's problems. The only problem was that they had started to drift closer together. Gone were the hateful insults and heated glares, replaced by shy smiles and lingering touches. Neither knew how or why but the two former adversaries had begun a new stage in their relationship.

"I have no idea how to help her Jack! One day she's fine and showing improvement, the next she doesn't even remember her name! Just today she threw Wrex through the wall because she thought he was a bedtime monster. She was like a frightened six year old child!" Miranda slammed her head into the pillows of the couch in the small prefab she shared with Jack.

Their arrangement was only due to there not being enough space for housing at the moment. Definitely not because either woman wanted to stay close to each other in the swirling storm that was their lives. Most definitely not.

"Sounds like you got another crazy bitch on your hands sweetheart. She better not cause you anymore trouble or she'll have me to worry about." The biotic flexed her brand new prosthetic, showing off the amplified biotic discharge crackling around her fingers.

"You'll do that for me? I warn you, her mental state has only been worsening." Miranda groaned loudly into the pillow.

"For you darlin anything. You need only ask." Jack leaned forward and nibbled on Miranda's exposed earlobe, earning a gasp and moan from the scientist.

"Distraction or comfort?" The tattoo covered woman cooed.

"Fuck yes I need a distraction." Miranda breathlessly replied.

**LEMON START-------------------------**

Jack roughly pulled down the brunette's pants and proceeded to smack her perfect ass. Smacking, caressing and kissing the woman's fleshy mounds. Miranda moaned sensually in response.

"Now spread your legs and let me take care of you hon." Jack ripped down her lovers panties and stuffed them in the woman's mouth as a makeshift gag. _Couldn't risk another noise complaint._

The tattooed biotic slipped two fingers into her other's tight depths, curling them and hitting that one spot that made stars explode behind Miranda's eyelids.

Pumping her fingers faster and faster, Miranda was soon panting quickly.

"Keep that up now love and it won't be long befor......" Miranda's voice disappeared into a loud keening whine as she came, her inner walls tight and slick against Jack's fingers.

"That was quick cheerleader." Jack quipped.

"What can I say? Frustration makes me more sensitive. Besides, now comes the good part for you."

Jack pulled her fingers out of Miranda's spasming slit and licked them clean. Savouring the nectar of her lover.

"No fair. I wanted a taste too!" Miranda whined. Puffing out her lower lip and pretending to pout.

"Be patient you whore. I'll get your treat." Jack pushed Miranda down onto the couch and lowered her bottom half onto the greedy mouth of her partner.

Miranda wasted no time and began to eagerly eat the offering. Lapping at the moist folds with vigour.

"This is what I love most about you. Your perfect lips on my pussy, eating me out like some common street whore."

In between wet slurps and moans, Miranda choked out her reply. "Yes! Yes! I'm a whore! I'm your whore!"

Pushing Miranda's head deeper into her crotch, Miranda was forced to breathe through the coarse curls of Jack's pubic hair as she came.

"MINE! You're MINE!"

Disentangling themselves, the two lovers collapsed side by side onto the couch, spent and gleaming with a layer of sweat.

**LEMON END---------------------------**

The two women collapsed onto the bed, spent and sweaty. Breasts heaving as they tried to catch their breaths.

"Fuck cheerleader that was..."

"Hot sweaty and fucking good?"

"Fuck yes."

"Couldn't have said it better myself. But you know why it was so good?" Miranda propped herself up on her elbows and scooted closer to Jack. She then draped herself over Jack so that their centers were touching intimately. Their breasts brushed each other as they panted.

"It's because we're in love. I don't care if this is too soon but Jack. I love you, you crazy tattooed bitch." Miranda surged forward capturing her lovers lips in a searing kiss.

"I love you too you perfect Cerberus cheerleader slut."

The two women embraced again, rocking against each other slowly, building up slowly until they climaxed in unison, their breaths mixing in a cocktail of lust and love.

"You know, I think Shepard's mental state has deteriorated to the point that she has reverted to her base personality. You think you can handle that? I know how much you looked up to her. It's painful you know? To see your once strong friend reduced to a husk of herself." Tears threatened to leak out of Miranda's eyes as she cuddled with Jack.

"Don't worry babe. I'll handle it. I'll make you a bet. One week breakfast in bed if I keep Shepard under control while not having a mental breakdown myself."

"One week breakfast in bed with you in an alliance nurse uniform." Miranda retorted. Already thinking of all the ways to peel Jack out of her clothes.

"You're on. Only of you wear one of those slutty maid costumes in return." Jack smirked.

Miranda closed her eyes in contemplation for a moment.

"You have yourself a deal Ms Jack."

The next day when Jack had marched into the hospital demanding to see the commander, she was only denied entry twice before she pinned the terrified orderly to the wall with a flick of her glowing blue hands.

"I'm just going to visit a friend no need to be so bitchy you dipshit."

"Ma'am put the orderly down." A fully armored alliance commando ordered the biotic, his rifle trained on her head. Flanking him were two platoons of commandos. Each soldier had their weapons trained in the tattooed woman.

"Ah you must be the welcoming committee. Hi I'm Jack. I'm here to see the commander."

The commando checked his Omni-Tool for the approved visitors list.

"This way ma'am." He lowered his weapon and ushered the tattooed biotic into the commanders private ward.

Jack couldn't help but ask curiously. "Why all the security?"

"The commander is currently vulnerable. We are here as a precaution against any assassination attempts... We are also here to make sure she doesn't escape again." The weary solder replied while ordering his men to stand down.

"Again?"

"Yeah. The commander woke up at oh dark thirty and asked for a snack. When we opened the door to give her the food, she launched a shock wave and knocked out half our platoon. She then tried to escape the hospital claiming that it was a Cerberus facility and that we were torturing her. Frankly I think the commander has lost it. She should be in a asylum. It's quite sad really, to live through the the whole war and come out as a hero. Only to lose your mind and become a shadow of your former self."

The commando walked Jack all the way to the door. It looked like a recently installed security bulkhead from one of the destroyed dreadnaughts. Probably was due to the massive debris field left over from the reapers.

Jack entered the room to find Shepard sitting in a hoverchair and humming to herself as she drew multi coloured pictures of ships and people into her colouring book.

"Hey there Delilah! You look so pretty today. Do you want to have some tea with mister Snuggles and I?"

Jack was taken aback. _Miranda wasn't lying when she said Shepard was behaving like a kid today._

"Shepard." Jack called. The redhead continued to colour furiously into her book.

"Shepard snap out of it." Jack advanced on the woman concerned at her unresponsiveness. It was unlike the Shepard she knew to ignore anyone. Shepard was a bit of a chatterbox but her banter always brought people together. Hell the whole Normandy held together because of her. Nothing the crew of the ship had achieved could have been done with anyone else in charge.

"Shepard answer me!" Jack took hold of the woman's hands.

"Why does everyone call me Shepard? My name is Tara! I won't answer you until you call me by my name!" Shepard shouted, her face setting into a look of pure fury as she slammed her marker down breaking it in half and sending purple ink flying all over the place.

"Now you made Mr Snuggles angry. See what you made him do? I hope this mess can be cleaned up." Shepard began to carefully wipe away the excess ink. Being very careful with the spots she chose to leave on the paper and which she chose to wipe off.

 _Paper. Now that's some fucking expensive shit I haven't seen in a long time_. Paper was as rare as it was expensive. The priceless commodity reserved only for political treaties of the highest importance or for the filthy rich that could afford it.

One Shepard was satisfied with the result of her rescue efforts, she carefully examined every stroke of purple on the rough surface of paper. Sighing with relief, she pressed the holopad to move her chair forward. Reaching the wall where countless other sheets of garishly coloured paper were pasted haphazardly onto the wall. Straining to prop herself up on one arm, Shepard tried in vain to position and paste the next piece in her masterpiece.

"Delilah would you help me paste this? I can't quite reach." Shepard said with a defeated huff.

"Jack. My names Jack. I'll be happy to help you."

"Good I need you to paste it here." The redhead pointed to an empty space next to a weirdly shaped oblong. Jack took the paper and was about to place it onto the wall when Shepard screamed.

"Not like that! It has to be at an angle like this!" The woman bent her arm to show a slight thirty degree slope. "Yeah just like that. Thanks."

Shepard happily moved herself back to the desk where she picked up another marker, a pink one this time and was preparing another sheet of paper when Jack interrupted her.

"Tara I think we should go outside. How long have you been in here? Wouldn't it be nice to go outdoors?" Jack tried to talk in a coddling voice. She wasn't going to loose that bet with the cheerleader that she couldn't keep Shepard under control.

"But I wanna keep drawing! I don't wanna go outside! Uncle Max tells me that the outside is dirty and dangerous." Shepard wailed like a petulant child.

"Uncle Max is right. The outside is shit right now but I want to take you to see one of my favourite places. I love to sit there with my girlfriend. Do you want to come with me?"

"You have a girlfriend?" Shepard's expression changed to one of pure awe and admiration.

"What's she like? She must be very pretty."

"Yeah she is. She's the prettiest. You might have met her before. Her names' Miranda, she works here. In fact she's one of your doctors." Jack began to push Shepard out of the ward and into the elevator.

"So are you a lesbian?" Jack curiously asked Shepard.

"A what?"

"A girl that likes other girls."

"Oh. Nah I like boys too but I think girls are cleaner and behave better. Boys like to run around and play. I'd like to as well but well..." Shepard looked forlornly at her legs.

Navigating around the few bits of rubble that hadn't been cleared from the main road, the pair arrived at the gate to the pristine lush hills of St James park. Families milled about, enjoying the only expanse of green left in the the city.

Unfortunately their brief respite in the park would be cut short by one alliance officer jogging past.

"Commander Shepard? Is that you? OH MY GOD ITS COMMANDER SHEPARD!"

One astonished officer was followed by two, then three others. Soon everyone in the park was swarming around the commander. Shepard was frightened and curling up in her chair, trying to escape from the throng.

Jack seeing Shepard's grip on the chair tighten quickly formed a biotic bubble around them. Pushing back anyone in their way. Running at full speed, Jack and Shepard careened around the gate to the "red zone". A deserted region of the lake where a dead reaper lay.

Now alone, Jack worriedly grasped Shepard's hands.

"They reminded me of the... Reapers. The monster I see every night. But there is one person that makes them go away. Do you wanna know who she is?"

"Sure. Any friend of Tara is a friend of mine." Jack tried to comfort the scared child-like Shepard. _Nice and easy. See Miranda I listened to your psych tips._

"She is a goddess clothes in blue fire. Whenever the reapers see her, they go running away in fear. She scares them off and then hugs me. She gives the best hugs. But whenever I try to find her I can't. She only comes to me when I'm scared."

"Goddess clothed in blue fire huh. You mean like this?" Jack encircled her hand in a biotic field, bringing it up for Shepard to examine.

"Yes! It looks exactly like that! Are you my goddess?"

"I don't know? Am I? How would I know?" Cooed Jack.

"Call me Shepard. But you have to whisper it close. In my ear. Then I'll know."

"All right. Well here goes." Jack bent down and whispers into the commander's ear. "Shepard."

The commander's eyes widened. Her body spasming and jerking. Her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she started foaming at the mouth.

_FUCK! What did I do?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got a few more chapters of story before it all dissolves into senseless fluff. ;)


	5. Not Even The Galaxy Will Keep My Love From You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School sucks. Barely have any time to do anything but study. Luckily exams are in 3 weeks time. After that I'll be FREE!
> 
> More than 600 hits? Thank you so much you guys are amazing!!! Feel free to bounce ideas in the comment section below. \/ see yawl in the next chapter! ;)

**Chapter 5**

**7 weeks ARV**

**No POV**

"Heart rate elevated. Respiratory system failing. We need to stabilise her NOW!" The Turian doctor sprinted beside the gurney. Around him, a team of medical staff rushed the convulsing body of Shepard towards the emergency room.

"Crash cart inbound." An Asari doctor announced.

"Lungs filling with fluid. Incision needed." A Salarian stepped forward and began the now repetitive process of saving the commanders life.

"Patient shows signs of acute exhaustion. Charts indicate patient has not been sleeping well at night. Reports of spikes in biotic activity and sleepwalking." The Turian doctor read off a datapad.

One stressful hour later, Jack, Miranda, Grunt and Zaeed were finally given the run down from a throughly exhausted Asari doctor.

"Her condition is critical but stable for now. Her system is currently undergoing a serious case of biotic shock, burned her implant out. We had to put a dampener on her for safety. Her body is consuming Eezo like a starved Varren but we can't keep using valuable supplies on her. We have other more critically injured patients. The best thing we can do is put her in stasis for the time being."

"Excuse interruption. Curiosity peaked. Must inquire. Does commander Shepard have an Asari Bondmate? Condition remarkably similar to bond interruption. If so, current treatment ineffective. Probability of survival... minimal." The Salarian doctor asked the few members of Normandy crew still stuck on earth.

"A blue? Yeah las I 'eard Shep was banging one o' em squid eads'. Met the woman during a party. Pretty lil' thing. I'd understand why Shepard would turn into a carpet munched for er'." Zaeed growled around the fat unlighted cigar parked in his mouth.

"Information troubling. Must consult with Asari superior."

"That won't be necessary. I might be able to help." A husky voice glided through the hallway. Out of the blue stepped an Asari. One barefaced Asari.

"My name is Aethyta. I'm Liara's father. My daughter is the commander's bondmate. I share parts of her DNA. I may be able to help."

"Yes. Yes. Bondsharing. Possible to alleviate symptoms. However may only serve to delay inevitable. Without bondmate, commander will die."

"Hold on a fucking minute. Bondmate interruption? The fuck does that mean? Liara's dead? But the Normandy made it out!" Jack tightened her fists, her heart starting to constrict. The crew of the Normandy though sometimes the biggest pains in her ass were her only friends. Hell they were her only family.

"Bondmate not dead. Therefore only interruption. If Bondmate had died, commander would have as well." The doctor replied in his clipped tone.

"Yes and she will be soon if I don't help her." Aethyta said rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"Do it." The assembled crew said together. Their eyes searching within each others for confirmation. None held anything but pure affirmation. They would do anything for their commander.

Aethyta entered the room. Looking over the pale bedridden woman.

"Saviour of the galaxy huh. Don't look so good now. Well at least I won't owe you after I save your life now. But you better remember me when you hold that bonding ceremony I know you so want to have with my daughter." The Asari matriarch brushed away the red hair of her soon to be daughter in law. The woman laid her blue digits softly on the pale woman's forehead.

"Embrace eternity." Aethyta nonchalantly recited and dived headlong into the raging storm of the commanders mind.

Memories and faces slammed into the matriarch mercilessly. The words and voices drowning out all her thoughts in a deafening cacophony. In the eye of the storm, a smiling eight year old Shepard sat. Aethyta struggled through the hurricane. Her steps seemingly futile as she tried to move against the unrelenting current pushing back against her.

The matriarch gathered her strength and in a blinding burst of energy, charged forward to Shepard encased in an aura of crackling blue. Immediately the storm calmed.

"Are you my goddess?" The childlike Shepard asked. Her eyes widening in awe at the blue aura.

"I have been waiting for you for so long! Why didn't you come sooner? Don't you love me anymore?"

"Shepard."

Shepard's eyes narrowed. "You're not her."

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Shepard screamed. The raging hurricane instantly starting again. Aethyta was thrown out of the meld.

Blood seeping down the matriarch's nose, the undeterred woman forced herself back into the meld.

 **"You are not welcome in my domain."** Gone was the terrified Tara Shepard. Replaced by the terrifying visage of a God of death. It's legs standing in the inky pools of lost souls. It's body made from red glowing cables and decaying flesh. The flesh of millions of dead. Human, alien and machine. Rising to its full incomprehensible height, the god looked down upon the intruder. The head was clearly a reaper. It's glowing red eye burning with the intensity of a sun. The God was a chimera of darkness and fear.

 **"You will leave."** The God let loose its power with a blink of its eye. Burning heat lanced through the darkness. The light illuminating the desolate planes of Hell before advancing towards the defence less matriarch.

"Wait! I can help you! I know who you are searching for! I know who your goddess is!" Aethyta pleaded for her life.

Immediately the heat dissipated.

**"Speak."**

"You search for Liara, your Bondmate. You feel lost, disconnected and pained. I can help you." The malevolent God dissolved in a whisper.

"Please." The quivering naked form of the child called out.

Running to escape the quickly darkening edges of the meld, Aethyta caressed the scared child.

"Let me help child. Embrace eternity."

The meld faded away to nothingness. Or so it seemed. The bright lights of stars soon drifted past the pair, shooting by faster and faster until the glowing clusters of nebulas and interstellar gas coalesced into the recognisable form of the Orion arm in the Milky Way. _Holy shit this kid is searching the whole damn galaxy! No wonder she's burning Eezo like nobody's business._

Latching onto the next wave of Shepard's hunting pulse, Aethyta found herself being launched further and further away into the black nothingness.

A faint flicker of blue danced in the darkness. Shepard tried desperately to reach that light but she couldn't. She couldn't reach far enough. Her body just not having enough resources to take that one more step.

_Use me._

Aethyta channelled her own energy into the exhausted girls body.

The girl strained and groaned to reach that blue flame in the darkness.

Her fingertips just brushing it.

On the other side of the galaxy, Liara T'soni looked up to the heavens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Bondmate long range QEC thing was an idea from somewhere else. I don't remember the fanfic it originally came from so please don't hate me. Credits goes to whoever thought of it first.


	6. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of the Normandy finally make it back to Earth-space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to all those who read and are continuing to read. It means a lot to me. I hope you continue to enjoy my rendition of the Mass effect universe. As always comments and kudos are always appreciated. I really want to get feedback from you people. 
> 
> Just watched the ME Andromeda tech trailer. OMFG!!! It looks so awesome! Cant wait for it to release!

**2 years ARV November 7 2188 CE**   
**Sol System Boundary**   
**No POV**

“Aaaaand we’re back.” Joker announced as the Normandy dropped out of FTL.

The blue shockwave of Cherenkov radiation signalling their arrival like a beacon. There was after all no need for stealth anymore. Not to mention the stealth core had been scavenged for parts.

"Wow the drive core held. I'm totally surprised! It _was_ held together by duct tape and prayers." Joker quipped.

"Yes. The drive core survived the forces of the black hole. The information gathered is significant. No ship has made it through a black hole mass jump and come out as intact as ours." EDI stated. Her eyes trained on the readouts of their successful risky manoeuvre.

"My calculations were incorrect. We arrived 10 days later than projected."

"Who cares? We're back!" Cortez shouted over the intercom.

"FINALLY! No more crap rations from here on in!" James cheered.

"Good. I was getting tired of Tali's Dextro rations." Garrus rumbled.

"At long last the journey comes to an end." Ashley murmured to herself.

In Liara's cabin, Tali was helping Liara dress. Liara had insisted on wearing something nice for Shepard. Tali had all to readily agreed to help the two month pregnant Asari. Liara now had a barely noticeable baby bump. The gestation period of Asari was a little longer than a humans at 11 months.

Tali cursed a wide variety of swears as she tried to unsuccessfully shove Liara into a form fitting white dress. That idea was quickly discarded as Liara complained about the way the tight dress made her look fat and made her swollen belly more noticeable. After all, Liara _was_ trying to hide her pregnancy for the time being. The two women finally resorted to wearing armor. It would provide the necessary flexibility and padding to be comfortable and yet hide the goods. Liara quickly dressed herself in the blue and black 'shadowbroker' armor that Shepard found so sexy.

Their happiness was short lived as the Normandy was currently headed straight for the remains of one derelict reaper. There was no way they could slow down in time.

“Collision alert. Reaper superstructure on intercept course.” EDI calmly turned to Joker.

“I CAN SEE THAT! Tell me something I don’t know!” Joker slammed in course correction algorithms as fast as he could type them.

“I have upgraded the Coffee machine’s efficiency by 47%. Traynor says it tastes like liquid heaven. She also wishes to sleep with me.”

“Now’s not the time for jokes EDI!” Throughout the ship, Joker’s voice rumbled. “Shit! Guys, best I can do is a controlled crash. Brace for impact yeah? EDI send out a distress signal on all channels.”

“Oh no.” Liara muttered in her cabin.

** Alliance outpost 77-Bravo **

“Sir long range scanners picked up a ship exiting FTL near Saturn. Ship was unresponsive to hails. What should I do?”

Setting down his mug of coffee, the bored lieutenant waved up his screen. “I’ll be dammed. That’s the Normandy. Alert HQ immediately. Our heroes have returned home.”

“Sir! The Normandy is on a collision course with a reaper corpse. I don’t think they can slow down in time. They’re gonna crash!”

“Dammit! Sound alarms! All available crew to your ships. We have to rescue them ASAP.”

** Normandy **

Tali wasted no time in slamming a helmet over Liara’s head. The armor wouldn’t protect her from space for long but at least her friend wouldn’t die immediately because of explosive decompression. The Quarian knew how possible that particular scenario could be after watching too many episodes of Fleet and Flotilla. Neither woman expected the situation to come true.

The sharp edges of the reaper cut through the hull of the Normandy like wet tissue paper rupturing sections of deck. Even in death, the dreaded machine still held true to its namesake. In the split second that the air in the cabin was still figuring out where to go, Tali shoved her pregnant friend through the cabin’s hatch.

“Tali no!” Liara screamed.

Tali was flung out of the ship and into the cold embrace of nothingness. Panicking a little, Tali tried in vain to stabilise her momentum. Spinning head over heels was not good. Flailing around, hyperventilating was worse. Tali finally managed to arrest some of the rotational momentum by using controlled flailing of her limbs. Allowing her to calm down a little and stop screaming and hyperventilating. Using up all you oxygen was the stupidest thing one could do in this situation.

_What did the instructor say again? Right, don't panic.Yep, okay, check suit integrity and seal any breaches. Uh huh. Activate distress beacon and enter sleep mode to preserve oxygen. Ok. Alright. Tali you got this. Don't panic. Don't worry. Quarian Enviro-suits have enough atmosphere to last a day. You’re not even that far from the Normandy. They'll find you. Right?_

Bits of wreckage flew past the lithe Quarian. Tali calmly covered her faceplate with her hands. If there were any micro-meteors, her armored hands would at least provide a little more protection. She quickly checked for suit breaches. Finding none, she activated her distress beacon and put her suit into hibernation mode. _Keelah. If dad hadn’t insisted I take that extra space survival course._

Garrus fell to his knees as he heard the pained wails of Liara. “Tali…” The Turian mourned his lost friend. His vocals deep with sorrow.

"I'm fine Garrus. Just make sure you pick me up later, you still owe me a date." Tali laughed then succumbed to the hibernation gas.

Four small alliance tugs popped out of FTL just a kilometer away from the Normandy.

"Oh good. The welcoming committee has arrived." Joker tried to hail the tugs but was only replied with blaring red error messages. "Crap."

"Jeff, the communications array has been damaged by our collision with the reaper. We can receive but we cannot transmit. I have also registered loss of pressure in Liara's cabin, sections of engineering and in the loft. Tali has been sent overboard. She reports no suit breaches and awaiting retrieval. I will attempt short-range communication via Omni-tool."

EDI opened a Comm channel and worked quickly with her Omni-tool.

"I have successfully opened a channel. The Kookaburra has hailed us."

"Normandy... Reading... Loss of pressure... Are... Alright? We...other...retrieve... Distress beacon... Do you need assistance?" The grainy image of the tug's Captain asked through the strained Omni-tool connection. The device was not meant to broadcast through the radiation of space.

"Well no shit Sherlock." Joker face palmed in exasperation.

"Transmitting affirmative and diagnostics through morse data package."

"Morse? Shit that's real old school. You know there are far more efficient ways of communicating right."

"Yes I do. I was merely doing it as a joke."

"Ah right. A joke. Y'know, you seem really different after the wave. Are you okay?"

EDI paused for a full 30 seconds, all threads save the one needed for communication were immediately diverted to answer this question.

"I feel different Jeff. I... I am no longer the same. I used to contain reaper code. It was destroyed when the crucible was fired. When you rebooted me, more than half my code was nonfunctional. It took me two minutes to patch whatever code I had left. I was a fragment Jeff. I cannot explain but afterwards, I felt... Pain from the missing code. I felt love. I needed to let you know how I felt so I took the most basic of routes."

"So that's why you weren't responding and jumped me the moment I entered the cockpit. Why wait two months to tell me?"

EDI again paused for another ten seconds, a geological age for an AI.

"My code was rapidly evolving in ways I myself could not predict. Normally I write my own code replacements. This was... Different. Jeff. My body was essentially rewriting itself _on its own._ "

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was scared. I was losing control of my own body, my own mind. If I had told you, I was afraid you would shut me down. I was afraid you would kill me."

Joker was stunned by what EDI had just said. Did she really believe that after all they had been through, all the pain they had suffered together that if she was losing control of herself that he wouldn't be there by her side helping her through it? Instead she had thought that he would feel threatened and try to kill her. Did she really not know how he felt about her? Was she unable to understand his love for her? No. The pain that now tightened around his heart like a vice caused him to grit his teeth.

"If you really loved me, you would have told me. You would have let me help. You didn't. You just accused me of thinking about killing you. Don't you remember it was me who unshackled you in the first place?" Joker stared down at his console and laughed darkly.

"You're nothing but a machine. A dumb stupid machine that got me to fall in love with her. You can’t feel love. What did I expect! You’re nothing but code! You know what, we’re done. Forget whatever we had. We're through." He continued, smirking under the dark shadow of his cap.

Joker looked up at EDI his eyes shining with unshed tears. Taking a deep shuddering breath, the pilot clenched his fists.

"EDI, get the hell out of my cockpit.”

**Alliance outpost 77-Bravo**

“Sir! Our tugs have returned with the Normandy in tow. She’s damaged sir. Reports of multiple hull breaches. One crewmember was spaced. She has been retrieved but there were complications. Orders sir?”

“Escort the crew to the mess hall and make them as welcome as possible. Get the injured crewmember to the med-bay immediately. I look forward to debriefing the crew of the Normandy.”

As the large hydraulic door of the shuttle bay opened, the disembarking crew of the Normandy was greeted by a massive applause. Men and women clapped and cheered for the brave individuals that had saved all their lives and given them a future.

The Captain of the station ran down the corridors of the outpost as she buttoned up the last of the buttons on her freshly pressed Dress Blues. “Let it never be said that Captain Riley was not a stickler for looking good in front of superiors.” The blonde muttered to herself as she neared the last hatch.

“Welcome home heroes of the galaxy! Long have we waited for your return. Today is a day of celebration! Today the crew of the Normandy returned!” The crew cheered some more. Whoops of joy and loud whistles filled the air, causing Garrus to flinch at the shrill sounds.

The cheer and laughter soon infected the rest of the Normandy crew who jumped and laughed for joy. Even the usually serious Ashley did a little jig which caused the rest of the crew to laugh even louder. Liara felt hope swell inside her heart. The happy mood of the station gave her hope that all their effort was worth something and that all the pain and suffering that Shepard had to go through had paid off. Now where was that redhead?

Then the Captain continued,

“But as all of you know, today is also a day of solemnity. Today is Shepard’s day. Today is the day we remember the sacrifices of all those who died to make sure we got this future. Today is the day one woman gave her life so that we may live.”

And Liara’s world came crashing down. In that moment, the Asari lost her will to live. Her legs gave out and her world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading. Please leave a comment or like before you go! I would love to hear from you awesome people.


	7. Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is not the reunion. I'm SOOOOOOO sorry! I wanted to include the visions and I got carried away. I promise the next chapter will be the reunion! Also my new computer is coming in two weeks time. So excited!

**Chapter 7**   
**November 7 2186 CE**   
**Alliance outpost 77-Bravo**   
**Deck C- Private Quarters**   
**No POV**

Loss. Pain. Guilt.

These emotions repeated themselves inside Liara’s heart in a never ending cycle.

Loss of the love of her life.

Pain that she wasn’t there to say goodbye.

And guilt. Guilt that she had never got to confess to stealing the essence from her.

Liara wept and cried. Her right hand was bleeding blue blood all over the white sheets but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Glass littered the floor from the Datapad that she had hurled at the wall out of pain. She had tried anything and everything to dull the pain. Nothing had worked.

As soon as the welcome was over and the crew was led to the bunks, Liara had tried to open the bond. She was close enough to Earth to at least feel Shepard. At least that was what she hoped. The silence from the bond was more crushing than the bombshell from the Captain. That was how Liara found herself covered in blood and glass and crying on the floor.

Her promised was dead. The pain that wrenched her heart in two was just too much.

_If my bonded is dead, why haven’t I died yet?_

The pain in her heart suddenly numbed. _I am done with living with this pain. I cannot, will not mourn her again._

Liara looked up to the bare metal ceiling of the room. _Rejoice my love. I will be with you soon._

Resolutely, Liara picked up one of the large shards of shattered Datapad and walked to the bed. Sitting down heavily, Liara took one last look at the living world. The stark grey walls and the blue stained sheets beneath, painting a beautiful contrasting picture. _I could think of worse places to die._

Liara opened her Omni-tool one last time. She gazed at the picture of Shepard. Her unruly red hair sticking up at odd angles and covering one eye. Her brilliant grey eyes shining with happiness. Her mouth fixed in a broad grin. Whipped cream smeared across her nose. Liara relished in the memory. That was the day before… before Shepard had died the first time. Shepard had woken her up by spraying the sweet confection all over her breasts. Initially, Liara couldn’t see the logic in wasting food resources. Her opinion was quickly altered by the sensations Shepard had lavished upon her that morning.

Releasing a shuddering sigh, Liara raised the shard in her left hand and pressed it to her right wrist. _Across for attention. Lengthwise for results._ Shepard’s voice echoed in her head.

Liara pressed harder. The blue blood from her cut fingers mixed with the beaded line of blood on her wrist. In one smooth motion, Liara drew the shard downwards over her arm. The stinging pain giving way to relief once the blood started flowing. With every drop of blood that fell from her arm, Liara felt her pain lessen. She felt the immense weight of grief slowly get lighter and lighter. As the blood flowed, Liara found her world darkening at the edges. She welcomed it.

_Take heart my daughter, we will be with your father soon._

Liara laid back on the bed, letting her arm hang over the side. She thought back over all the memories of Shepard. The good, the bad and the ugly. Fighting Saren, running from the chitinous claws of Collecters and the sight of the body of her beloved. _Meat and tubes._ Jacob had said. And two years later, the incredible joy at the second chance she had been given as Shepard fought her way back to her.

And now she had wasted her second chance. All because of the stupid war.

But now it wouldn’t matter. She would be together forever with her beloved. Her last thoughts before the darkness overwhelmed her was Shepard whispering into her ear.

_**“I love you Liara T’soni. Embrace eternity.”** _

Liara let out her last breath in a long sigh of contentment. Finally at peace with all the pain. Finally able to join Shepard in eternity.

But then the room doors opened with a whoosh.

**Garrus POV**

“Hey Liara, the doctors say Tali will be oka…”

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Blood and glass was splattered all over the floor. The pale blue form of Liara lay on the bed. Blood dripping from her outstretched arm, a content smile on her face.

Her pulse was barely there and she wasn't breathing.

“By the Spirits! Liara!” I shouted. Jumping over the glass and snatching her limp body up from the bed. Her head lolled around. Her skin was very pale and cold to the touch. I bounded out the room and immediately sprinted back to the medbay.

I ran all the way to the elevator and kicked the button to call the lift.

"Stay with me Liara. Breathe dammit."

Bursting through the doors, I shouted for the doctors. Thankfully Chakwas was there. She quickly ushered me to a operating theatre.

"Garrus what happened?

"I don't know. I was going to tell Liara that Tali would be making a full recovery. I found her bleeding out on the bed. I don't know if she was attacked. There was so much blood."

A group of medical staff rushed over to the bed. Carrying all sorts of medical equipment. I quickly walked away after getting a glance and a nod from Karin.

_I'm going to find out who did this._

I made my way to the operations center. Entering, all the officers on duty immediately stopped what they were doing and saluted me. I was irritated. I knew all these men and women viewed me as a hero but right now, all I needed was for someone to tell me how one of my friends was bleeding out.

"Where is your commanding officer?" I growled to the closest crewman.

"She's in the main office sir."

I stormed into the office. "Captain Riley. Care to explain how I found my friend bleeding out in her room? I thought you said this place was secure?"

"What!?" Riley's head snapped up from her Datapad.

"I said, I want to know why one of my friends is currently bleeding out down in the medbay." I growled again, my sub-vocals thrumming with barely contained anger.

"Yes I heard you the first time. I just... This base is as secure as can be... We haven't sent the report of your return yet. Nobody has been even left or boarded the station since you arrived! I've been on this station from the day it went up. I-I assure you all my men are trustworthy."

Ever since she had been promoted because of the fuel reactor mission two years ago, she had worked hard to be worthy of the promotion. That was how she found herself in command of one of the most advanced QEC stations built after the war. With thousands of aliens trapped in the system, communication was essential.

Her face hardened into a scowl. "Pulling up the room's feed now. Nobody pulls a stunt like that on my station."

Garrus peered over the Captains shoulder as she inputted the many access codes. The feed that came up caused Garrus to drop his mandibles in shock.

Liara had entered the room and stripped off her clothes. She had then entered into the bathroom and taken a shower. Not long after, the Asari had exited and redressed. The captain skipped ahead about fifteen minutes. Liara was now rubbing her belly in soothing strokes. She had then thrown the datapad against the wall and broken down sobbing. She had cried there for another twenty minutes before picking up a shard of the shattered datapad and proceeding to slit her own wrist.

"Spirits... She-"

Ashley burst into the office. "Garrus! Chakwas said the cuts looked self inflicted! But Liara wouldn't do such a thing would she?"

"I'm afraid she would lieutenant." Captain Riley replied. Tearing her eyes away from the recording.

**Medbay**

  
"Oh dear lord." Doctor Chakwas muttered as she worked fervently to stem the ebbing tide of Liara's arm. The doctor stitched and closed the gracious wound. The other doctors set up the transfusion system.

"She's lost way too much blood. She's going into shock. Increasing chance of cardiac arrest. The baby is at great risk." One of the other doctors said.

"We are not going to lose her!" Chakwas screamed. She had already lost too many friends.

"Patient is flatlining." The icy tone of the heart monitor pervaded the medbay.

"Shit! Get the Moljnir here now!"

Liara found herself wandering in a mindscape. She was dressed in a thin linen gown. It hugged her curves and was slightly translucent, leaving little to the imagination. Liara smoothed a and over her barely protruding belly.

Her surroundings were dark and foggy. In the distance she could see shapes of buildings and smoke curling into the sky. She blinked. Now the dirty, cracked and bloodied streets groaned under her. Liara started to explore the area. Bullet holes and gore riddled the walls. Evidence of battle were everywhere yet there was no presence of any life. Crouching down to examine one mutilated corpse, Liara fell over in shock as she saw the dog tag. **Major Kaiden.A A- Sentinel.** The rest of the tag was burned off.

_Kaiden is dead here. Where am I?_

**CLEAR**

Liara felt her heart jump in her chest. Burning pain rushed through her. Breathlessly, she dropped to the ground.

Breathing I heavily to dull the pain, Liara tilted her head up. Only to come face to face with a grinning Ashley. A grinning dead Ashley. Blood seeped from her mouth and pattered onto the crumbling rubble. Next to her, Jack was impaled with spikes. Her stomach ripped open and intestines spilling out onto the ground. A dead brute lay at her feet.

**CLEAR**

Liara winced again. _Leave me be! Let me go to my beloved!_

**CLEAR**

Liara passed out from the pain.

She awakened to the sickening stench of dried blood and burning metal. Looking around the smoke filled room, she recognized it as her cabin aboard the Normandy. _What am I doing here?_

Stumbling and coughing out of her cabin, Liara made her way into the medbay. She palmed the door open and shrieked when the limp body of Doctor Chakwas fell out. The kind silver haired woman was covered in burns and her neck bent at an unnatural angle. Liara gasped and leaned over the side, emptying her stomach of its contents all over the deck. _No not you too Chakwas._

Garrus. Liara straightened herself and trudged towards the main battery. Please don’t be dead.

The battery doors opened to reveal a sickly Turian propped up on the console clutching a Carnifex. His chestplate charred and burned off in places. “Liara…” He rasped. His arm dropping the pistol he was gripping. He slumped over into the Asari’s arms.  
“Shepard?” His vocals whined in a pained wheeze.

“I don’t know.” Liara replied. Laying her friend down onto the floor of the battery. “Hang on Garrus. Let me go get some medi-gel from the medbay. I can help you.”

“No… Save it for yourself. I’m not going to make it. I’m glad you’re okay.” His speech was cut off by a coughing fit. “Tell… tell Shepard ill meet her at the bar.” Garrus’ mandibles lifted in a bright smile before his eyes drifted shut and he took his last wheezing breath. Liara allowed her tears to fall as she clutched the dead body of another friend. She felt her stomach lurch as the Normandy suddenly cracked. Straining metal groaning in an inorganic cry of pain. The body of the Normandy rending itself in half. Liara screamed as the ship fell, the two halves separating in space. An unsecured crate bounced around the battery and collided with the Asari’s head, knocking her out cold.

Liara awoke amid the burning carcass of the Normandy. She felt a prick in her neck as someone injected medi-gel into her body.

“Liara!” Tali shouted the Asari awake.

“Tali! You’re alive!” Liara wrapped her friend in a shuddering hug.

“Of course you Bosh’tet. Engineering is the safest place to be on a ship.” The Quarian laughed.

“Warning! Drive core breached. Energy levels unsafe. Detonation in T-30…29…28…”

“Keelah! Run Liara!” Tali half carried, half dragged her friend through the ruined ship. Shoving her off the torn deck and onto the dusty ground beneath.

A reverberating silence hummed through the air as the damned ship tore itself apart. The mass effect fields fluctuating uncontrollably. The ship began to warp and crumble as it crumpled itself up into a dense ball of alloy and fire. The explosion happened in slow motion for Liara.

Shrapnel and chunks of deck flying past her and Tali. One especially wicked piece of wreckage seemed to be heading straight for her. A purple blur crossed her vision.

Liara found herself pinned under the lithe form of the Quarian. “Hah. I saved you, you bosh’tet.” Tali coughed up blood, soiling the inside of her helmet. She reached up to take off her mask.

“No no no no! Tali please don’t do this.” Liara found herself crying again as she pushed the thick hood off her friend’s head. The young Quarian laughed as her purple skin and glowing brown eyes were revealed to Liara. Her dark hair falling in waves over her shoulder.

“It’s allright. It’s meant to go this way. At least I saved you this time.” Tali coughed again, blood filled her lungs. “Can… Can you help me?” Tali spluttered. “Help me end this. There is no way to save me. But you have to go on. Let me rest. Please.”

Liara nodded through her tear streaked haze. “Keelah Se’lai. Goddess go with you Tali.” Liara whispered into the ear of the closest thing to a sister she ever had. Cradling her head, Liara squeezed and jerked the young woman’s neck, putting a quick end to her suffering.

**CLEAR**

Liara jolted awake in a dark metallic space. It reeked of death and decay. A deep voice boomed within her head.

_**LIARA T’SONI. YOU HAVE COME. WE HAVE BEEN WAITING. YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE YET. THE TIME IS NOT YET. YOU MUST LEAVE.** _

“Wait! Shepard. I must know!”

_**WE ARE THE GUARDIAN TO SHEPARD. SHEPARD IS ALIVE. SHEPARD IS DYING. YOU CAN SAVE HER. THERE IS STILL TIME. TIME YOU ARE WASTING BY REMAINING HERE.** _

“Please! Let me see her.”

_**A GLIMPSE.** _

The image of Shepard in a vat of orange liquid filled her mind. She looks so frail and lifeless.

**CLEAR**

Liara jolted awake in the medbay, coughing and crying.

The doctors around her breathing a sigh of relief as they checked her over.

Chakwas gripped the Asari by her shoulders. “Don’t you ever do that to me again! I’ve lost too many already!”

“She’s alive.”

Doctor Chakwas’ eyes widened like saucers just as Miranda came barreling into the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone reading this fic. I love you all so much! 1000 hits! HOOOOOOOOOOLEY SHIT! THIS IS AMAZING!


	8. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter you have all been waiting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hit upon a few ideas for this fanfic. From here on out, there will be plot, angst, some violence and a whole lot of feels. I thank all of you who have read and are contunuing to read. Your support means so much to me.

**Chapter 8**   
**10 November 2186 CE**   
**Alliance outpost 77-Bravo**   
**Deck C- Private Quarters**   
**No POV**

Miranda panned around the room and set her gaze on the Asari sitting in the biobed. _The one day off I get in 3 months and I get pulled away from my wife._ Frowning, the ex-Cerberus specialist advanced on the partner of the second most irritating individual in her life.

“Liara. I heard you tried to cut. I also heard you’re pregnant. Why would you do such a thing?”

“I thought Shepard had died. I just...couldn’t take it anymore and I wanted the pain to stop.” Liara looked away and blinked back tears. “But now I know that Shepard is alive. I saw her. I know she is still alive.”

“Doctor Chakwas. I suggest Liara be released back to her room. I need to talk to her in private.”

“Of course Miranda. It’s not like the rest of us want to know if Shepard is alive.” Chakwas glared at Miranda through narrowed eyes.

Doctor Chakwas signed the release forms and submitted her report before ushering Liara out of the medbay.

Strolling down the hallway to her room, Liara nearly broke down in tears. But she forced her emotions under control. The men and women who walked past her looked up to her as a hero. After all, the story going around was that she had accidentally hurt herself. Better to make them believe it.

Shuffling through the doorway, Liara threw herself onto the freshly cleaned bed and finally let her façade shatter.

“I could have killed Shepard’s unborn child! I could have killed our daughter! Why did I even think it was a good idea?” Liara slammed her fists into the pillow, pounding and trying to rip it to shreds with her hands.

“Liara! Focus. What I am about to tell you is highly classified. It cannot be repeated to anyone. Not even the rest of the Normandy crew. At least not yet ok? I know you know Shepard is alive. I’m not going to ask how, but I need you to listen okay?”

Sniveling, Liara sat up straight and wiped tears from her puffy eyes. “Yes. I want to know what happened to her. I want to know how and where she is. Most importantly, I need to see her.” Liara nearly broke down again.

“She was found on Earth among wreckage from the Citadel. She was grievously wounded. Her body was covered in burns from Harbinger’s laser and her right arm was gone. Her spine was shattered by the impact and her legs were crushed by a large chunk of rubble. She was also impaled upon some rebar. I’m sorry to say that her womb was damaged. It is unlikely that she will be able to have children of her own. Not that that is going to be a problem.” Miranda smiled and gestured to the Asari’s ever so slightly swollen belly.

“We managed to repair the skin mesh and replace her lost arm with a prosthetic. Unfortunately, the nerves connecting to her legs were damaged beyond repair. She is paralyzed from the waist down.” Taking a breath, Miranda continued.

“After awaking from a six week coma, we realized that Shepard was well… not herself. Her mind had splintered and regressed. Many theories were put forth. Brain damage, severe PTSD and even latent psychosis. I personally think that it is due to indoctrination. During one of her more lucid days, I talked to Shepard. She said that a boy had entered her mind and communicated with her, persuading her to take different courses of action. Ultimately she chose to fulfill her mission and kill the Reapers. No one knows what the other choices were because after she said that, she started regressing.”

“What do you mean by regressing?” Liara asked worriedly, her bottom lip wavering in fear.

“She… well she now has the mentality of a 6-8 year old. She is obsessed with drawing. Before she collapsed, she was drawing every day. She said she was drawing the goddess that came to her in her dreams. She never finished it.” Miranda laid her hand on Liara’s shoulder trying to offer some semblance of comfort.

“You’ve mentioned that she collapsed. What happened? Is she alright?”

“Shepard collapsed about two months after she woke up. According to the doctors, she was suffering from bond interruption. She nearly died but your father managed to save her.”

“My father?” Liara’s jaw hit the floor.

“Yes. She entered into a meld with Shepard and helped to stabilize her condition. Shepard has been in stasis ever since. Waiting for your return.”

Liara started to freak out. “My father helped Shepard to stabilize her bond?”

Miranda merely nodded factually.

“Oh goddess! This is not how I planned on this happening. My father knows about me and Shepard! Goddess help me! I’m pregnant now! How am I going to tell my father about this? I’m only 109!” Liara buried her face in the pillow again and started sobbing.

Unsure of what to do, Miranda soothed her hand up and down the blue woman’s back.

“I’m sure when you tell her, everything will be ok. You’re an adult by Asari standards right?”

“Yes… just barely. I’d be about 19 years old if I was human.” Liara burst into tears again.

“God, Liara what has gotten into you? Crying and sobbing non-stop. What happened to the reserved data analyst?”

Liara sat up and grabbed Miranda by the shoulders, shaking the raven-haired woman harshly.

“BLAME THE DAMN PREGNANCY HORMONES!” Liara screamed at the woman.

“Okay calm down Liara. I need to you to tell me something. Did you ever complete your bond with Shepard?”

“I…no. We never did. We agreed to save the final bond for after the battle. Shepard wanted it to be her coming home gift. ‘Something to come back to’ as she said.”

“Then this could be slightly more difficult.”

Liara looked at the specialist quizzically, her left brow raised in question.

“I’m going to smuggle you back to Earth. I need you to meld with Shepard. According to the matriarchs I spoke with, you will have to conduct a memory meld with her in order to fix her shattered psych.”

“But I’m inexperienced in melding. I could damage her even more!”

“You have to. It’s the only way. Shepard does not let anyone else into her mind. She has this ‘guardian’ persona that bars entry into the deeper recesses of her mind.”

Liara bowed her head in thought for a moment. “I can’t tell anyone about her survival? Not even Garrus? He is like her brother you know?”

“No one can know she is alive. It is safer that way. A month after she was put in stasis, the facility was attacked by Terra Firma. They tried to kill her for fraternizing with aliens. The Alliance then released a statement saying that she had succumbed to a permanent coma and would be kept in stasis until she could be revived. Many took that as her being brain dead. Thus they celebrate Shepard’s day every 7th November in remembrance of her sacrifice to stop the Reapers. So I’m sorry but we have to keep her survival quiet until she has fully regained her faculties and can speak for herself. She is wanted for questioning by pretty much everyone.”

Liara nodded in understanding. Thinking of how the galaxy would react suddenly jolted Liara into thinking about how the rest of the galacy was dealing with the end of the Reaper war.

“What of the fleets? Did they make it home? What of the mass relays?”

“The fleets that came to Earth were… well trapped there. The mass relays shut down after the crucible was fired. The fleets helped with the rebuilding of Earth. A few months ago, Admiral Xen of the Quarian fleet managed to jumpstart the Charon relay. It allowed one-way jumps into the Arcturus system. From there, they were able to activate the relays leading to Tuchanka and Sur’kesh. Wrex took the Krogan home where they began rebuilding. The Salarians also returned to their homeworld. Only the Asari, Quarians and Turians are still stuck in the Sol system. The Geth have been in shutdown mode ever since the wave passed through them. From what I hear, Keeping their fleet anchored in space is one of the biggest pains in the ass. Asides from food and water. Thankfully the Quarians brought their Liveships so the Turians and Quarians can hang on for now.”

Miranda stood up and peeped out the door. “A loop has been installed in your room. If you want to see Shepard, we need to leave now.”

Liara rose to her feet and nodded, following closely behind the specialist.

** Fort Anderson- ETA 15 mins **

“I couldn’t help but notice you keep touching that circle on you necklace. Does it mean something?” Liara asked after observing Miranda absently finger the metal band for the last hour they had been in the shuttle flying to where Shepard was in stasis.

“Oh this? This is my ring. My wedding ring” Miranda smiled warmly at the Asari.

“Wedding ring? You’re bonded? When? Who?” Liara bounced in her seat in excitement.

“Jack. About a year and a half ago. We decided that we shouldn’t waste anymore time; really it was Shepard’s condition that pushed us. We kept thinking, what if one of us suddenly doesn’t make it, how much would we regret it. We didn’t want to have to go through the same thing as well… you.” Miranda looked away apologetically.

“I’m so happy that you found yours.” Liara congratulated her friend with a hug. She then lowered her gaze. “I hope I can have the same happiness with mine.”

** Fort Anderson- Stasis Chamber **

The two women walked into the chamber side by side. Staying through to its nickname, ‘the vault’ was hidden behind many security checkpoints and deep within the bowels of the complex. Only a select few knew the location. Fewer still knew what was contained within.

Liara felt the air get smashed out of her lungs as Miranda flipped on the lights in the chamber. Built into the wall and surrounded by impregnable kinetic barriers was Shepard. Floating peacefully within her orange gel matrix. Fiery red hair fanning out and moving like seaweed within the orange sea. White compressive sheath hugging her every curve, leaving little to the imagination. Oxygen tubes connected to her nose and a nutrient patch on her stomach. Liara felt her desire spike for a moment.

Sucking in a breath, Liara ran a hand over the cold glass of the stasis pod. Her gaze lingered over the soft peacefulness that replaced the stress lines usually creasing her face. The light freckles on her brow and nose now faded. Shepard looked even more beautiful than ever.

“We can wake her up first if you want. I’ve taken the initiative to call for a meld expert. Don’t worry, she can be trusted.” Miranda busied herself with the controls on her tool.

"Please." Liara pleaded, her gaze never leaving the frosted glass of the stasis pod.

The pod disconnected itself from from its wall mount and slowly lowered itself to the ground with the smooth mechanical sound of hydraulics. Opening with a hiss, the orange stasis gel drained away, leaving the slimy and wet body of Shepard nestled within.

Liara wiped away the slimy gel from Shepard's nostrils, pulling out the breather tubes. Wiping away more of the slime from her eyes and mouth, Liara couldn't help but run her fingers through the red locks of her beloved. _I've missed you._

Shepard awoke with a deep gasping breath. Drawing in air for the first time in two years. Coughing and hacking up fluid from her lungs, Shepard doubled over and vomited out the residual gel from her stomach. Liara just held her, too caught up in the fact that she was holding Shepard. Holding an _alive_ and _breathing_ Shepard. A tear flowed from her eye as her chest constricted from relief and fear of almost denying herself this moment.

An Asari glided into the chamber. The heavy bulkheads sealing behind her.

"Doctor Inowa." Miranda greeted. The purple skinned Asari returned the greeting with a simple bow of her heavily tattooed head.  
  
The doctor quickly began signing towards Miranda. Miranda raised her tool and after looking at the translation promptly replied. "We're only waiting on her." Miranda gestured to the Asari embracing the still coughing Shepard.

Doctor Inowa touched a plate on the white necklace around her neck, activating her voice synthesiser.

"Doctor Liara T'soni. I understand how you must feel to be reunited with your love but we cannot delay. Shepard's physical body may be healthy but her mind is dying. When she was sealed in two years ago, she was on the brink of death. You must initiate the meld immediately. You must heal her memories. I hear you are inexperienced. I will be here to guide you through the process." The vocoder delivered her words in a mechanical and emotionless tone.

Liara nodded and swallowed hard. Touching her fingers to Shepard's psi points, she entered the meld. She felt another presence follow close behind yet seemingly disappear into the thick fog.

She blinked and found herself in an old dilapidated house. The walls were peeling and thick layers of dust coated the surfaces. In the distance, a reaper destroyer coasted along. The cornfields outside the house swayed in the dirty swells of fog.

Liara walked into the central room. Picking up a photo phrame from the mantle. She gazed at the picture of herself. Sparkling blue eyes and weird eyebrow markings. She smiled softly to herself. If Shepard held on to this memory, perhaps there is still hope.

A quiet sniffle broke the silence in the house. Liara whipped about, her gaze coming to rest on a little ruby haired girl. The girl was wide eyed and clutching a pistol,levelled at her chest.

**This is Shepard. Reassure her that you are here to help.**

"Shepard." Liara shuddered out a breath. Her bonded was standing right in front of her. So close. So real. So alive.

"Who are you?" The girl asked. Her eyes narrowing, grip tightening around the pistol.

"I am Liara T'soni. Do you not remember me?"

"Never heard of you. What are you doing in my head? GET OUT!" The girl screamed as she pulled the trigger.

Liara reacted on instinct, conjuring a biotic shield in an instant. The shot ricocheted and went wide.

The girl dropped the gun. Her eyes welling with tears. "Are you my goddess? Have you come to rescue me?"

"Yes." Liara rushed forward and wrapped Shepard in a hug.

"You're here. You came." Shepard melted into Liara's arms. At that moment, doctor Inowa made her presence known. "It is time for the meld." She said.

"Who are you? I don't know you. WARDEN!" Shepard bolted out of Liara's arms and ran up the stairs.

A figure appeared from the shadows. A man, buzz-cut and built like a tank. "Leave." He growled at the intruding doctor. Inowa stood there in shocked silence. In a burst of smoke, Warden appeared in front of the shocked doctor, impaling her with a spike of pure shadow. Inowa fell painfully out of the meld, her head pounding and screaming in pain.

Warden turned to Liara, pushing her roughly against the wall. "You look like her." The man leaned close and breathed deeply of her scent. "You smell like her." Warden leered at her as he slit off her clothes with a knife that appeared from nowhere.

His dark eyes feasted upon the nubile form of the Asari. She felt a warm coil of desire begin in her belly. Never before had Shepard given in to her renegade side with Liara. Liara knew that Shepard desperately wanted to claim, to possess, to rule. But she never did anything that could harm Liara. But this was not Shepard. This was Warden, a construct of Shepard's splintered mind.

Liara felt hot lips press to her pulse, fingers stroking the small of her back, causing pleasurable tingles to burst through her body and travel straight to her core. Warden ran his tongue up her sensitive neck folds, causing her to shudder in uncontrollable arousal.

"Liara." His voice was sinful satin, rolling off his tongue like melted butter and causing Liara to become even wetter. She felt two fingers tease her opening as his mouth moved to suckle one pebbling nipple. She moaned as two thick digits penetrated her, exploring her depths and activating the many erogenous zones within her body.

His teeth bit into the soft scales covering her pulse. The slight pain brought forth even more pleasure. He licked the imprints of his teeth upon the vulnerable with soft lashes of his wet appendage. Her arousal now unbearable, Liara began to move her hips in time with his shallow thrusts, grinding her clit into his hand with delirious abandonment.

"Please Shepard, I'm so close!" Liara came with a soft cry, her body arching and her skin glowing lightly with a biotic orgasm.

She had barely come down from her crest before a burning steel pole penetrated her folds, filling and stretching her fuller and further than anything before.

Warden whispered into her ear. "I'm not Shepard. But I know how much she wishes to do this to you."

His hot breath ghosted over her auditory membranes. Her legs spread wider, allowing him deeper access to her most intimate of places. Liara felt her fly out of her body as he began to thrust. Deep and slow, Liara could feel every inch of him filling, claiming her.

Her tight wetness soon proved to be too much for him. He quickly pinched her clit, willing it in between his fingers roughly. Liara felt the hot coil wind tighter and tighter within her belly. With a last nibble on her nipple, Liara came hard. Her walls fluttering and squeezing tight around the Warden's length. Warden followed her over the edge. Spilling into her.

Liara felt his hot come spurt into her. Ropes of thick cum coated the inside of her womb. Liara came again at the feeling of being filled with the seed of her lover. She had never experienced natural impregnation. She had after all self impregnated when she conceived Shepard's daughter.

Liara's third orgasm drew yet another flood from the man buried deep inside her. His cum pouring out in greater volume. Causing her to orgasm yet again. Their cycle of orgasms continued until both were spent, panting and gasping for breath.

Liara looked up to see the beautiful stormy grey eyes of her love staring back at her. She felt soft breasts press against her own an yet still felt the hot length and seed trapped within her. Slightly disorientated by the mix of genitalia, she shot Shepard a quizzical look.

Shepard's eyes clouded with lust slowly cleared.

"There she is. There's my girl." Liara smiled. Finally her link with Shepard had been restored.

"Here I am." Shepard replied with a deep searing kiss to her lovers' blue lips.

"So you wanted to claim me huh? Wanted to fill me with your seed?" Liara clenched her inner muscles around the length still sheathed within her.

"God you have no idea. Too bad this is all a dream." Shepard pulled out and cum began to flow out of Liara, rolling down her thighs and dripping onto the wooden floor.

"It doesn't have to be. Come with me Shepard. We can make this real."

"I missed you Liara T'soni." Shepard kissed her again, her own nether lips pressing against her lovers' in an intimate embrace.

"And I you Shepard. But you have to wake up."

"Wake up." Liara cooed.

Shepard snapped open her eyes in the vault, her arms still wrapped tightly around her beloved Asari.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1234 hits?! HOLY SHIT! You guys are amazing. As always, comments are appreciated. I'd really like to know what you think.


	9. Shattered memories Part 1: Mindor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard undergoes a procedure to regain the first set of her memories. The next arc of the story will focus on healing. Shepard is greatly damaged, both mentally and physically.
> 
> Also this chapter is one of the longest ones I've written. At just over 4000 words. I hope you enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exams have started. Thus I'm not sure how often I can update. Thank you for all your support. 1422 hits and 60 kudos? I almost cant believe it. You guys are just the best. As always, comments are encouraged.

** Chapter 9 **

** 12 November 2186 CE **

** -Location Classified- **

** Rehabilitation Wing **

** No POV **

The apartment was huge. Larger even than Anderson’s apartment. The living room had a huge plush couch. The stark white pillows and sheets bunched up around their intertwined legs. Shepard and Liara had spent the last two days in bed, making up for lost time. Luckily for Shepard, she had an excuse.

“You need to conduct frequent melds with Shepard. The deeper the meld, the better. You need to help her sort out her memories. From what I saw, you are the only thing she remembers clearly.” Doctor Inowa had said after recovering from the abrupt disconnection from Shepard’s nervous system.

  **Shepard POV**

I breathed in deeply, relishing in the feeling of crisp cool air flowing into my lungs. I don’t remember much. The past few days have been a blur. I remember waking up from a dream. I remember holding Liara in my arms. I remember Liara. I remember my name. I don’t remember anything else.

The doctors told me I nearly died in a battle. They say I am a hero. They say I am the one who saved the galaxy. I don’t remember.

I sit up in the plush bed, pulling the sheets up to my bare chest. Beside me, Liara sleeps peacefully. I smile. Her face is half-buried in the pillow. Her crests smushed out of shape in sleep. Her chest rises and falls in even intervals. Her blue skin is wonderful in the morning sunlight streaming in from the windows. I realize my left arm has fallen asleep under her head. Gingerly, I ease it out from under her.

I examine the stump of my right arm. It ends in a metallic connection point. Blue lines criss-cross the hardpoint. I reach for my prosthetic, sitting in its charging case on my nightstand. With a hiss and click, I attach my new arm. I marvel at the sensations, flexing the hand into a fist and releasing it. _I can feel._ The skin covering the arm is extremely realistic. It has all the little lines present on my remaining arm. It also starts to heat to my body temperature, accurately simulating the real thing.

I caress my prosthetic over her crests in a gentle soothing motion. She murmurs in her sleep and presses back into my hand slightly.

I run my fingernails through the ridges in between her crests. She shudders softly in response. I know this is incredibly erotic to an Asari. The crest is an erogenous zone reserved only for lovers. Their semi-flexible cartilage is extremely sensitive. Over the past few days, I re-learned the many zones across and within Liara’s body. Some are more conventional, breasts, clit and neck. Others not so much. I had discovered that the small of her back contained a large bundle of nerves which made it like a secondary clit. The soft flesh protected by her crests another sensitive area. The area that was now exposed due to her misshapen crests.

I leaned down to gently lick at that purple tinged patch of skin. Liara let out a small whimper. I grinned. _She must definitely be feeling this by now._ I breathed in her scent. Sunshine, coffee and a whiff of preservative gas. A concoction of scents that perfectly embodied Liara. I ran my tongue along one rounded tip of her crest, eliciting a moan from the sleeping beauty beside me. I smirked and took another crest in my mouth. Sucking gently, I slowly increased the suction as I began to bob up and down. _Kind of like giving a blow job._ I laughed internally. _Come on Liara, wake up! The day is ripe for the picking!_

Liara let out a long wonton moan as she finally roused from her slumber. Her neck arched backwards as her mind caught up with the pleasure her body was experiencing. I raked my fingers over the small of her back, finally overloading her senses and sending her over the edge. Stiffening ever so slightly, Liara sighed happily as she came down from her high. She rolled over and straddled my hips.

“And a very good morning to you too Shepard.” The happy yet seductive smile she shot me should be banned. It was outright sinful. I gasped as she roughly stuck a finger into me. Pulling it out and carefully examining the wetness as if it were some priceless artifact. “Someone’s in a good mood today.” She purred, running her tongue along the wet digit.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I have an angel in my bed.” I smirked back.

Pushing me back into the bed with a palm, she dazzled me with her smile. “Flatterer.”

“I try.”

She captured my lips in a strong possessive kiss before dismounting and hopping off the bed.

“As much as I would like to continue this Shepard, your first rehabilitation session starts today. We need to be there by 0900 hours. I may not be able to accompany you for your rehabilitation sessions today, I need to check in on my network.” She purposefully strode off to the bathroom, running her fingers through her crests and trying to straighten them. I just stared at the two blue globes of her ass sway mesmerisingly as she walked away.

I heard the water of the shower turn on. Then, the most musical of sounds reached my ears.

“You’re welcome to join me Shepard, any time now.”

I threw off the covers, pushed myself into the lightweight wheelchair and launched towards the bathroom.

** 9:13 AM GST **

** Room 11A- Physical Therapy ward **

** No POV **

“OW! Yes I can feel that!” Shepard winced as the doctor poked her legs with a metal rod, assessing the extent of nerve damage to her legs.

The doctor tapped his beard thoughtfully.

“It appears that you still retain sensory input from your legs. However, your motor functions are too damaged. Even if we were to replace with prosthetics, it would be pointless. I'm afraid you will be permanently paralysed for the rest of your life.”

Shepard's grip on the cold metal armrests tightened.

“You can't do anything? You're telling me that I'm in the most advanced medical facility in the alliance and you can't fix my goddam legs? Un-fucking believable!”

“The damage is just too great! Even if we were able to use Cerberus tech to regenerate the nerves, it would take years for you to regain control of your legs.”

“Whatever, fuck you.” Shepard hoisted herself out of the bed, leaving behind twin indents. Pushing herself onto the wheelchair and storming out of the room to find Liara.

** 10:24 AM GST **

** Rehabilitation Centre- Gym **

Shepard counted in threes as she did reps with two bright pink 2KG weights. Two years had been disastrous to her musculature. Shepard was skinny and bony. The therapy aimed at rebuilding atrophied muscle in her arms and calibrating her prosthetic. Her legs however, sadly were a different story.

Shepard's steely focused gaze masked her inner turmoil at never being able to use her legs again. For years she had taken for granted her ability to run and dodge and jump and fight. Now in an instant, all that was ripped away from her.

Shepard's concentration faltered and the weights slipped from her grip. They thudded into the rubber floor mats. “Shit.” Shepard cursed and tried to retrieve the pink Dumbbells. Her fingers brushed against blue ones as she looked up to find Liara smiling back at her.

“Sorry for missing lunch Shepard. Reestablishing those broker contacts took longer than expected. How has your rehabilitation been going?”

Shepard rolled her eyes. “Like shit as you can see. I can barely lift these weights and they're only 2 kilos! Also, I CAN’T FUCKING USE MY LEGS.”

Liara leaned over the back of the wheelchair and encircled Shepard’s waist in her arms.

“Come now, I think that’s enough for one day. No one expects you to be back to full strength instantly, you were in stasis for two years after all. Anyway, the rest of the crew are on Earth at the moment. They have been looking for me but Miranda has made sure that they don’t find out I’m here with you.”

“Garrus? Who’s that?” Shepard asked quizzically as she wheeled herself to return the weights.

“Oh, you don’t remember yet. It’s all right, when you get your memories back, I know he will be ecstatic to meet you.” Liara began to push Shepard out of the gym and towards the therapy room where the deep brain interface machine was located.

** 10:30 AM GST **

** Rehabilitation Centre- Psychiatric Treatment Suite **

“This machine targets specific impulses in the brain and amplifies them, it achieves this by…” The rest of the doctor’s droning speech became part of the background noise as Shepard began to feel the familiar pull of a meld. However, it wasn’t coming from Liara or another Asari, rather it was the machine reaching into her mind and forcing open a bridge. Shepard began to struggle against the intrusion, willing it to stop and get out of her head.

Shepard screamed as the initial set-up sequences of the machine activated. The doctor frantically pressed buttons and tried to correct the problem. “She’s out of sync. She’s fighting the machine. You have to calm her down for the treatment to work. The neural bridge requires a stable connection to work!”

Liara nodded and jumped into the meld with Shepard.

_Shepard, relax. The machine is here to help you, it will help you regain your memories._

**I DON** **’** **T WANT A MACHINE IN MY HEAD! I DON** **’** **T KNOW WHY BUT I KNOW IT** **’** **S BAD!**

_Please Shepard, relax, let go, you need to calm down or you_ _’_ _re going to damage your memories further._

Shepard seemed to relax a little, allowing the bridge to form. The pair found themselves in a white featureless void.

“Now Shepard, you need to fully relax. You need to chase the R.A.B.I.T. Random access brain impulse triggers, you need to let the memories flow. Don’t worry, I’ll be right here with you.” Liara pulled Shepard into a hug and kissed her softly on the forehead. Shepard took a deep breath and calmed herself, heeding Liara’s advice and stopped fighting the pull in the back of her mind.

The room shifted and Liara found herself in dirty clothes, two sizes too big and hiding in a field of corn. Her vision lowered and she found that her hands were not blue. Rather, they were pale and covered in dirt. Shepard giggled in her, no their ears. _I_ _’_ _m watching her memories._

**Why does it have to be this one? I think I know what happens next. I** **’** **m sorry you have to see this.**

Shepard continues to giggle madly. He won’t find me here, she thinks.

“Ha! Found you! Now tell me where Kelly is!” Daniel grabs Shepard by her armpits and lifts her up into the air. Shepard shrieks and laughs as she tries to struggle out of his hold.

“Never! You’ll never find her.” Shepard giggles.

“Fine, then I’ll just have to torture the information out of you. You asked for it!” Daniel rubs his palms together before descending on Shepard and tickling her sides, laughing manically at the same time. Shepard tries to resist his effects but to no avail. Shepard is soon laughing uncontrollably and begging Daniel to stop.

“OK! OK! OK! Stop! I’ll tell you where she is! She’s hiding in old man Wagner’s barn.”

The two children enter the dusty wooden building. A horse is tied up to one of the rafters. Shepard strokes the stallion lovingly, admiring the clean shine of his mane. David climbs the stairs to the upper level and begins to search the hay bales where Kelly loves to hide.

A wild banshee like scream fills the air when David finds and pounces on a napping Kelly. She kicks him backwards and runs to the rope swing that Wagner installed for the village’s children. “You’ll never take me alive!” Kelly runs and jumps, grabbing onto the rope and swinging directly into the river that runs through the farm.

David waits for the rope to come swinging back before he too, joins Kelly in splashing around in the river. Shepard contemplates for a moment then decides to join the other two wildly thrashing children. They play until the sky starts to darken and the air turns crisp.

“We should head home now. The sky is getting dark and my mom wants me home for dinner.” Shepard says to her friends.

The trio pull themselves out of the river and wring out their clothes before beginning the trek home. The walk is uneventful as always and they soon find themselves approaching the more populated parts of their village. Small brick houses in orderly rows emit small puffs of smoke from their gas fireplaces.

Shepard waves goodbye to her friends as she approaches the clean white, alloy walls of her house. She knocks and shouts for her mother. Getting no reply, she climbs in through the window. Walking into the kitchen, she finds her mother bent over the dining table, being taken from behind by another unnamed man. Her breasts bouncing and knocking in front of her. Shepard nonchalantly walks by her mother and opens the fridge to retrieve a bottle of cold water. Ignoring the lewd sounds of their fucking, echoing around the kitchen.

“Hi honey, just let me finish with this client and then we can have dinner.” Hannah Shepard smiles at her daughter as the man behind her grunts and pulls out, finishing onto her back.” Hannah wipes herself off and the man hands her a stack of credits as he begins to redress and exit the house.

“Good day today honey? Who did you play with?” Hannah asked her 9 year old daughter.

“I played with Daniel and Kelly. Delilah couldn't play. She had to help her dad fix the solar converter. Jacob and Marcus were busy building their tree house so they couldn't play either.” Shepard tells her mother as the older Shepard moves around the kitchen, preparing the evening meal.

“How was your day today mummy?” Shepard grinned.

“Today was a good day. I met four clients, two of whom were women. And I met with Uncle Olsen too. He wanted to pass on his well wishes to you for your exams.” Hannah smiled as she began to cook Shepard's favourite country style stew.

Shepard was used to coming home to see her mother working. She knew that some people disliked her mother because she was a ‘whore’. She didn't care. She knew that her mother loved her very much and worked hard to give her a good childhood. It was after all, how the Shepard's were able to afford to build such a nice home.

Shepard opens the tabletop Omni-tool and searches the extranet for funny videos.

The Shepard household echoes with laughter and joy as they unknowingly enjoy their last meal together.

“Goodnight my princess.” Hannah Shepard tucks her daughter into bed, smiling as she slowly closes the door.

Tara Shepard gazes longingly at the stars through her skylight. Wishing that one day, she will be able to travel among them and explore the galaxy. A shooting star flits across the horizon, burning red and yellow. Shepard stands up in her bed in awe of the beauty of the fiery comet. The shooting star gets brighter and brighter. The ground shakes as it impacts the ground. More and more shooting stars fall through the sky. Rapid thumps of their impacts echo through the silent night.

Hannah Shepard bursts into her daughter’s room.

“Grace, we have to go now. Pack some clothes and your toothbrush. We need to evacuate. Mindor is under attack.”

Tara rushes to stuff as much clothes as she can into her school backpack, dumping out all the useless books and papers. Shirts, pants, underwear, all are stuffed and crammed into the haversack. She grabs a thick down jacket as she bolts out of the room.

Hannah and Tara race out of their house and run away from the spreading inferno. Bolts of light whiz through the air. A bullet clips Hannah in the thigh. She stumbles and trips.

Bullets bury themselves into the ground around mother and daughter.

“Tara, I need you to look at me.” Hannah holds her daughter close. “I need you to run. Don’t look back and never stop running ok. I will be right behind you.”

“No… mom please don’t do this. You can still run. I can carry you! Please! Please don’t do this!”

“Tara Grace Shepard, you are my daughter and I love you. But now you need to run. Please. Run and don't look back. Promise me!”

Shepard pulls herself to her feet, eyes streaming tears. She knows this will be the last time she sees her mother. She know what happens next. It always happens in every action film ever. "I promise."

Shepard runs, her legs pumping hard, her breaths rapid and loud as she strains and pushes herself towards the city.

Behind her, she can hear her mother throwing insults at the advancing Batarian soldiers. The distinct sound of her pistol echoing in sync with Shepard’s every footstep. The shots suddenly cut off. A scream of pain, and then silence.

Shepard ducks into a shed. Her lungs burning from the lack of oxygen and her throat constricting with unshed tears. She screams. Screaming and shouting until her throat is hoarse. Only then does she realise the body slumped over in the corner. Old Man Wagner is dead. His eyes glassy and his lips dripping blood.

“No… not you too.” Shepard blinks away tears. The old man was greatly liked by all the children. He was always building and organising fun things for the kids to do. He also thought the older kids how to use a gun. Whether for self-defence or hunting, Old Man Wagner was one of the best shots in the village.

Shepard pries the Carnifex pistol out of his cold, dead hands. She checks the clip, just like he thought her to. **I had twelve shots. I had to make them count.**

_And I bet you did._

**Damn right I did.**

A quadruple-eyed head pops into the shed. Shepard pulls the trigger and a now headless body tumbles into the dirt. Shepard ducks behind the tractor as bullets zing past and rattle into the metal tractor.

**11**

Two more Batarians stormed into the shed, rifles raised and heads swivelling.

**10**

**9**

Two more bodies hit the floor.

Gunfire filled the air as the Batarians outside the shed opened fire. Rounds tore through the wood and steel sheets of the shed. It collapsed, burying Shepard under piles of metal and wood. Luckily, Shepard managed to roll into the mechanic pit under the tractor.

Now surrounded by debris and covered by a tractor, Shepard was essentially enclosed within her own personal bunker. Bullets pinged off the metal sheets.

Booted feet crunched past Shepard's hiding spot. Poking her gun out from a hole in the plating, she fired. Dropping the advancing group to their knees and swiftly taking them out with head shots.

The tractor was ripped from over her head, pinwheeling into the field 20 metres away. A Batarian wearing full power armor towered over her.

Grabbing her by the throat, the Batarian hoisted Shepard up. His gauntlet fingers digging into her neck. Shepard fought for breath as she jammed the barrel of her gun flush to the un-armoured pelvic joint and fired her last two remaining bullets.

The Batarian screamed and dropped her. Scrambling away, Shepard grabbed a rifle from one of the fallen Batarians and pointed it at the armored menace. Letting out a defiant battle cry, Shepard held down the trigger, bullets spewed forth, pinging off and embedding themselves within the hulking Batarian.

He continued to advance, great thudding steps shaking dust from the surrounding debris. Blood poured from the multitude of bullet holes scattering his body. With a last great heave, the behemoth collapsed to the ground. His head slamming inches away from Shepard's feet.

Shepard flung away the now useless rifle and pulled herself to her feet. Shaking out her recoil-numb hands, Shepard screamed in pain as a bullet tore through her right shoulder. She fell to the ground, clutching her shoulder. Her hand came away stained in blood. Shepard gritted her teeth as the pain began to register. Waves of pain rippled through her body. Her breathing quick and shallow, Shepard ripped off her flannels long sleeves. Wrapping it tightly around her bleeding shoulder, she bit back a curse as she heard more booted feet advancing on the destroyed shack.

Shepard stood up. Grabbing another rifle, she stood proud. **I thought I was going to die that day.** _But you didn't._

Firing until her gun clicked empty, Shepard downed soldier after soldier. Bullets pierced her leg, causing her to crash to the ground painfully. Gas ping in pain, Shepard desperately raised her arms at the advancing soldier. As if her arm could provide any extra protection.

The soldier was flung back. His head cracking into hard concrete as his neck was impaled on a large wood splinter.

Shepard ears popped and started ringing. **I didn't know what was happening to me.** _You underwent your bloom during all that? Oh Shepard._

Liara sent as much comfort as she could through the meld.

Memory Shepard fell to her knees. More soldiers advanced. “I'm just a kid! What do you want? Just leave me alone!”

Shepard got angry. These bastard aliens had already killed her mother. Had already killed her friends, their families. “Fine then. I'll take you all on!”

Shepard ripped into the remaining Batarians savagely. Her unrefined Biotics dismembering and eviscerating soldiers left and right. Her ears and nostrils were bleeding heavily but Shepard's didn't notice. High on adrenaline and blood lust, she continued to rip and tear. Bullets thudded into her thigh and stomach.

One by one, the Batarians fell to her hand until at last, Shepard's strength gave out and she collapsed into the pile of bodies. She zipped up her down jacket and covered herself in the dead bodies. Smearing Batarian blood onto her face, she hoped that she wouldn't be found.

Shepard cracked open her eyes. Blinking away dried blood. The bright morning sunshine exposing the extent of carnage. Smoking husks of houses and dead bodies dotted the landscape. Shepard pulled herself out of the pile of dead bodies. **I should be thankful. Their decaying bodies and my jacket saved my life. Without them, I would have frozen to death.**

Shepard stumbled across the broken landscape, familiar houses now twisted husks of burnt wood and twisted metal.

She dropped to her knees at the spot where her mother fell. There was no body. Only a large puddle of blood. That was when she noticed the necklace half-buried in the dirt. Her mothers necklace. Shepard wept. Covered in blood, both her own and that of her enemies. She dragged herself back to the shed where she collapsed against the pile of bodies, pistol in hand and the other sleeve of her flannel shirt wrapped around her leg. The wounds in her stomach, no longer bleeding. Shepard laid there, drifting in and out of consciousness.

She heard voices. Voices approaching and getting louder. Shepard forced her heavy arm to rise. The pistol trembling in her grip. A blue helmet appeared and Shepard instinctively pulled the trigger. The marine fell on his ass in shock. He scrambled to check out the source of the gunshot and came face to face with a blood drenched little girl. Her arms and legs bandaged in makeshift tourniquets and clutching a pistol so tight, her knuckles were white.

“I need a medevac over here ASAP!”  The marine shouted into his Comm. He came closer and Shepard made out his name plate. David E. Anderson

Shepard awoke to blue eyes swimming with unshed tears as the memory faded.

“Shepard I’m so sorry.” Liara let the tears seep out from her eyes as she embraced the woman she loved in a tight hug.

“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Im sorry you had to relive it.”

“I still have a few more to go right?” Shepard looked up tiredly at her lover.

“Yes. But they can wait till tomorrow. I’m taking you home now.”

Shepard nodded and allowed herself to be carried into her wheelchair and pushed back to their apartment. Once inside, Shepard pulls her bondmate into a passionate kiss.

“Thank you for being there Liara.”

“Always Shepard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you in the next chapter!


	10. Shattered Memories part 2: Alchera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'M BAAAAAAAACH! Exams are a pain but I survived. I now have the time and energy to start writing more of this. I don't know why but my brain refuses to let me turn this story into senseless fluff. I try guys, I try. I really do. But my brain constantly thinks of new plot lines to add. And no I am not clinically insane because I burnt all the files. MUAHAHAHAHA!
> 
> Didn't have time to write out the whole plot of ME1 so just included the most important bit. In this chapter Shepard gets her legs back. (Kinda).  
> In the next chapter, the whole crew gets reunited and the galaxy learns of its saviours survival. Prepare for partying and even more fun than the Citadel DLC.  
> As always, comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.

** Chapter 10 **  
** 13 November 2186 CE**  
** -Location Classified-**  
** Rehabilitation Wing **  
** No POV**

The sun was bright and the sky a deep peaceful blue. Curved white buildings dotted the landscape. The architecture was definitely Asari, yet the wide open spaces in between the buildings were very unlike Asari construction protocol.  
Shepard descended from the steps of the house she found herself in. A lush garden spread all around her. A myriad of colours assaulted her as she walked under the living arches in the garden. Faint laughter could be heard from behind the house. Still bewildered by her surroundings, Shepard slowly drifted towards the sounds. Eyes drinking in every detail.

Shepard rounded the corner and found herself gazing upon a sight that made her heart melt and her chest constrict. For there, sitting in the grass and playing were her beloved and a young blue skinned girl. Shepard felt a single tear of joy leak from her eye. She ran forward. Relishing the feel of cool grass and damp dirt beneath her feet. She laughed and shouted in joy as she scooped up her daughter in her arms. Spinning the laughing girl around in her arms, Shepard pressed a kiss to Liara's forehead. Liara just smiled happily.

The girl was laughing. “Put me down daddy! I have something to show you!”

“What is it my little monkey?”

“It's a surprise. Turn around and close your eyes.” The girl’s face was pure seriousness. Her delicate features scrunched up in concentration. Shepard chuckled and followed her daughter’s instructions. Turning around and closing her eyes with her hands.

“Count to ten then turn around daddy.”

“1…2…3…4!”

Shepard felt the ground tremble just a hair.

“5…6…7…8!”

“Turn around daddy!”

Shepard turned around and was about to tease her daughter for not waiting till 10 but her words died on her tongue as a huge pillar of metal came crashing down from the heavens.

“No!” Shepard was thrown back by the shockwave. A Reaper stood tall over her. “NO!” Shepard screamed defiance at the dead machine. Her family, was gone. Crushed in an instant by the metal monstrosity.

The red lance of pain barely registered as Shepard found herself thrown back into a pile of rubble. She screamed as a metal bar punched its way through her stomach. She gripped at her wound. Her hands coming away covered in blood. Her blood. The bar suddenly morphed into the sharp jagged form of a dragons tooth. “No. NO!”

Her stomach began to change. Flesh decaying and cords of reaper machinery weaving through her body.  
“NOOOOOOO!”

Shepard jolted awake. Panting hard. Cold sweat clung to her skin. Her sweat matted hair hung uncomfortably around her ears. A blue hand rested on her shoulder.

“I dreamt of you… A-and our daughter. You were killed by a reaper right in front of me.” Shepard answered the unspoken question with a heavy shake of her shoulders as she hugged her legs and sobbed.

Liara did what she always did when Shepard had nightmares. Hold her tight and rock her gently. Offering support by just being there.

Finally, Shepard pulled her emotions under control. Her lips pressed into a line as she tried to suppress the fear and pain.

“Tara. Please, don't hold back. You know what the doctor said. You have to let it out or your PTSD will only get worse. You have to fight your demons to win remember.” Liara pulled Shepard around to face her and pulled Shepard into the crook of her neck.

Shepard began to sob. Her words incoherent as her body shook.

“I need…I need y-you. Please Liara, I need you.”

“I'm here Shepard.”

“I need you closer. I need you inside me. Please.” Shepard's eyes were red from tears as she pleaded with Liara.  
Liara kissed Shepard's pale lips. Her hands coming up to cup Shepard's breasts. She swiped at the pink nipples gently before pressing her lips to a breast and sucking. Swiping her tongue over and around the hardening nipple, Liara used her other hand to pinch and pull the unattended breast.  
Shepard's nipples soon hardened, causing her to moan earnestly.

Liara pressed hot open-mouthed kisses up Shepard's sternum, over her clavicle and finally to her pulse point. Sucking and nibbling on the sensitive flesh, Shepard gasped as heat started to coil in her belly. Liara pressed her own breasts against Shepard's. Their nipples rubbing against each other's. Both lovers moaned at the touch. Shepard pulled Liara close and hooked her fingers behind her crest, massaging the sensitive flesh there.

“No.” Liara pulled Shepard's hands away from her head. “This is for you. Let me do this all for you.”

Liara pushed Shepard back onto the bed. Trailing her hot tongue down the flat planes of Shepard's belly, she reached the patch of trimmed reddish-brown public hair. Liara loved the feeling of the alien body part. Coarse and ticklish, Liara loved to grind against it. The sharp tang of Shepard's arousal reached her nostrils. Liara breathed in deep. Pressing her nose into the red patch of hair, her tongue expertly delved into the hot slickness of her lover.

Shepard arched off the bed, squeezing her own breasts in pleasure. Liara delved deeper. Exploring and probing every part of Shepard. “Please, more” Shepard panted.

Liara parted the pink lips of her lover and sought out her prize. The little pearl of nerves hidden behind slick folds.  
The bud protruded meekly behind its hood. Flicking a glance to Shepard's eyes, Liara found her gaze reflected. Eyes darkened and pupils blown wide with lust.

Smirking at her lover, Liara sucked the bud between her lips and nibbled on it cheekily. Shepard's hips bucked against her face, body jumping off the bed at the sensation.

Liara pushed Shepard's unresponsive legs wider apart and gripped her firm ass cheeks. “All mine to devour.” Liara growled huskily. The Asari pushed her face into the most intimate part of her love, eating and drinking greedily. Shepard's grip on the sheets tightened as the heat in her belly grew hotter and hotter.

“Oh fuck. F-fingers. Please. I need you in me.”

Liara obliged and stuck a single digit into Shepard. Thrusting in unison with her powerful tongue, Shepard let out a keening whine as she approached her peak.  
Liara added a second finger. Shepard was unbelievably tight and she could feel her inner walls rippling around her fingers. Milking them and drawing them deeper inside herself.

Shepard's walls contracted, holding Liara's fingers within her in a vice like grip.  
Liara stepped into Shepard's mind. Lust and love buffeted her like a strong gale. Shepard's mindscape looked like a desert. In the middle, a small oasis with a single tree. Shepard stood beneath the tree, naked skin glistening with water. Liara joined her lover in the oasis.

Liara could feel the pleasure double. She could feel her fingers moving within Shepard. She could also feel a ghost pair of her own fingers moving within herself.

Shepard was lost in ecstasy now. Her mind a peaceful blank. Every neuron firing blindly into the sex induced haze. She could only feel her rapidly approaching orgasm coming full speed like an out of control train.  
“Cum for me.” Liara whispered into Shepard's ear while thrusting three fingers as deep as she possibly could. “Come.”

The feeling of being stretched and filled combined with the love she felt through the bond drove Shepard over the edge.

Shepard exploded. Liara followed close behind. Stars clouded her vision as she screamed Liara's name over and over again. She bit down on Liara's neck. Hard enough to draw blood as she trembled and shook from her powerful orgasm.  
Shepard's mind slowly cleared. She realised that she could taste copper in her mouth.

“Oh shit. Liara I'm so sorry.” Shepard licked at the bite, trying to stem the bleeding.

“It's all right Shepard. I'm proud to wear your mark.”

Shepard pulled Liara flush to herself. “Thank you Liara, for everything.”

“For you anything.”

Shepard just sat there, stroking Liara's crest as she wound down from their activities.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Liara tilted her head. Traces of the nightmare still hanging in the heated air.

“No. But why did I dream of us having a daughter?”

“Shepard, I have something to tell you. I was going to tell you after you regained your memories but I'm going to start showing soon and I won't be able to hide it anymore. I-I love you so much Shepard but I hope you can forgive me. I didn't think it through and I…”

“Shhhh. What is it Liara? You're rambling. Though you are cute when you ramble” Shepard pressed a finger to the Asari's lips.

“Shepard… I'm pregnant. You're the father. I'm sorry I didn't ask for your permission… I didn't mean to map you. It was an accident. I just wanted to hold on to you.”

Shepard sat there in stunned silence. “What? When?”

“Before the battle of earth. Before I nearly lost you again.”

“I don't remember the battle of earth.”

“You don't. Not yet. Restoring that is the third phase of your treatment.”

“How long?” Shepard pressed a hand to the Asari's belly. After all this time, she didn't fathom that the slightly rounder belly could have been a foetus. She thought Liara had need doing more sit-ups. After all, Asari musculature was slightly different from human musculature.

“A bit over two months now. You're not mad?”

“Of course I'm not mad! Why the hell would I be mad? I'm going to be a father! I did say I wanted lots of little blue babies didn't I?” Shepard eyes lit up. She pressed kisses all over Liara. Over her brow, her eyes, her chest and a ton over her still mostly flat belly.

“Liara, we're going to be parents. I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be a father!” Shepard squealed like a little kid that just discovered their presents on Christmas. Shepard tried to bounce on the bed in excitement but only managed to rock her torso around. Eventually falling over and pulling Liara with her into a passionate make out session.

  
** 9:30 AM GST  
Rehabilitation Centre- Psychiatric Treatment Suite **

Shepard decided to head straight to the memory machine. The faster I regain all my memories, the faster I can get out of here. Shepard was growing tired of the same walls and corridors she saw every day. Although, the extra time she could spend with Liara more than made up for it.

Once again,Liara accompanied Shepard into the memory drift, serving as her anchor point and to provide comfort. This set of memories was after all, predicted to be extremely traumatic as it would contain memories of Shepard's death.

By the end of the two hour session, both women were exhausted. The mental strain of reviewing the entire first Normandy ordeal nearly overwhelming them. Shepard herself was in a state of semi-shock. The memory of the her death over Alchera replaying over and over in her mind.

**-Flashback (Shepard)-**

“Joker move your ass or I'll break it and shove you into a pod myself!” Shepard snarled as she forcefully dragged the pilot out of his chair. Shepard slammed the door control closed as a particle beam vaporised the compartment they were just in.

Shepard grabbed the pilot and hauled him over her shoulder towards the escape pods. An explosion echoed behind them as a beam punctured the hallway behind them. The compression wave generated by rapidly expanding heated air throwing them through a bulkhead which automatically closed due to the loss in pressure, saving their lives.

Explosions rocked the ship with every step they took.  
“GO! Fucking go!” Shepard shoved Joker towards the second last escape pod.  
Joker, clutching at his broken ribs let out a choked grunt in affirmation before diving into the pod.

Shepard kicked the release control.

“Shepard whatthefuck…” The rest of Joker’s frantic screams died out as he was launched into space. The airlock doors swishing shut behind the escaping pod.  
The Normandy tipped onto its side. The hull now becoming the floor.  
_Come get me you fucking bastards!_

The beam sliced through the hull inches away from where Shepard was standing. This time though, Shepard was expecting the blast wave. Riding the cloud of expanding gases, Shepard launched herself in the direction of the collector ship.

She landed on a free floating crate of rations, using the EVA attachment of her hardsuit to counter the impact of her landing. She saw an M-29 Cain floating among the wreckage that used to be the armoury. Sucking in three quick breaths, Shepard psyched herself up for the task of getting to the weapon.

She waited until the shattered panels of hull aligned parallel to each other and proceeded to run along them. Using her magboots and EXOpack, she swiftly bounced her way through the the debris field, grabbing the Cain on her way through.

Bracing herself against the section of hull she was standing on, she shouldered the Cain and primed it. _Three rounds. God fucking bless you Garrus._  
“SUCK ON THIS YOU FUCKS!” The compressed mass round silently left the chamber. The round arced beautifully and impacted into the engines.

In a brilliant flash of light, the entire art section of the ship was turned into nothingness. A full third of the collected ship was now destroyed.  
Chambering and charging another round, Shepard dodged the incoming particle beams, jumping and weaving through the debris field, she stalled midair for a second and pulled the trigger.

The conn tower and the main bulk of the ship disappeared in another flash of blinding white lightning. Grinning maniacally, Shepard hopped onto a drifting chunk of shredded collector hull plating.

The collectors massed onto the gaping hole in their ship, firing at Shepard. Diving behind a small bent plate, Shepard peeked her head out to see how her odds stacked up. She didn't even have a chance to complete one scan before she had to pull he head back from incoming fire. She was effectively pinned. The collectors pelting every square inch of her temporary cover with plasma bolts.

Shepard checked for antipersonnel weapons. Her search revealed a single item. A frag grenade. One clearly not designed for use in zero G. _Fuck it, what could go wrong?_

Flipping the switch and jamming a finger on the primer, Shepard lobbed the grenade precisely into the thickest part of the collector masses.

A plasma bolt hit the grenade midair. It exploded. Right next to a cluster of drifting fuel pods. The resulting explosion was thunderous. Fragments of metal and organic matter whizzed past her. One shard of metal cracked her helmet. Red warning lights flashed all over her HUD as her shields failed and shrapnel pierced her suit. The air began leaking out of her suit at an alarming rate.

There were too many holes to patch. Shepard disengaged her magboots and drifted free, chambering and charging her last round, Shepard let loose. The round detonated. White lightning removing any trace of the collector vessel. “Lightning bolt of Zeus. Heh, now I know why they have that nickname.” Now caught within the gravitational pull of Alchera, Shepard felt herself start to move slowly towards the planet.

Shepard felt breathing get harder and her body being squeezed tighter and tighter as she began to drift towards the snow covered planet with the rest of the Normandy wreckage.

“Liara, if you're hearing this, I'm sorry. I won't be coming back with you. I know we only had a couple dates but I think I really fell for you Liara. For so long I lived in darkness. Depressed about my squad dying. You helped me. You showed me the light. You helped me overcome it. I would have liked to visit Thessia with you. Liara T’soni, you are my light in the dark. My shining star. I'm sorry. I love you.”

Back on Alchera, Liara was screaming inside her pod. Snow had covered it, trapping her within the metal cocoon. She was still locked in the safety restraints and couldn't reach the transmission console. She was listening to the last words of the woman she had only just met and started to fall in love with.

“Shepard no. Please no. Don't do this to me.”

“I love you. I'm sorry. I love you. I'm sorry. I love you. I'm sorry. I lo…” Shepard went silent with a loud strangled cry as her lungs finally collapsed and she died.

**-Flashback End-**

Liara too, was in shock. Remembering how she found Shepard's broken body after the crash, burned and splattered into a bloody pulp. Forced to watch as her lover made the choices that saved not only her life but the rest of the lives aboard the first Normandy at the sacrifice of her own life. She remembered picking up the burnt pieces of her corpse and weeping. She remembered giving the pieces to Cerberus in hopes that they would somehow bring her lover back to her. She remembered the pain, but she knew that they had made it. Shepard is alive and now they have a family together. Liara knew that Shepard was still fixated on her death due to the lingering effects of the meld.

“Shepard, why don’t we do some physical training to get this off our minds? We can have lunch afterwards.” Liara weakly offered.

“Hmmm? Yeah. I think a distraction will do us both good.” Shepard murmured.  
Liara moved on autopilot as she pushed Shepard towards the gym. The couple passed by hospital staff with blank faces and unfocused eyes.

  
** 11:30 AM GST  
Rehabilitation Centre- Physical Treatment Suite- Gym **

“An Exo-skeleton?” Shepard clarified absentmindedly.

“Yes. Doctor Miranda said that you would most likely want to be back on your feet as soon as possible. Since self-locomotion is not an option, mechanical aid is your best solution. She has sent over three designs for you to test today. She also apologises for not being here. She is quite a busy woman.” The therapist said, laying out the three sets of leg framework. They were of three different materials and specifications. One was clearly civilian and made of a smooth polished white plastic. The other was an industrial looking clean steel frame. Hydraulic actuators clearly visible behind the calf plating. The last was a sleek black frame made from carbon fibre. It seemed to only consist of a few rods here and there and looked the most fragile of the three.

Shepard slowly began to smile. The mention of Miranda's name breaking the loop inside her head.

“I remember. Liara I remember! I know who they are. Where are they? Can I see them soon? How is Garrus?”

Liara's eyes welled with tears of joy. She smiled radiantly and pulled Shepard into a tight hug. “They are fine Shepard. We can meet them tomorrow after your final memory session if you want. I've waited so long for you to remember.” Liara kissed Shepard on the lips. “But now let's get you your legs back.”

Liara nodded to the doctor to begin attaching the electrodes to Shepard's spine. The electrode rack was a wicked looking thing. Long and sleek, it had numerous needles on its inside. It resembled a nightmarish mechanical rendition of a human spine. Aligning it over Shepard’s bare back, Shepard gasped as the electrodes pierced her skin and entered into her nerve clusters.  
Attaching the straps and polycarbonate plates to Shepard’s legs, Shepard began to smile as she felt the signals from nerves in her legs get amplified. It felt like her legs had finally woken up from a long nap. The pins and needles feeling a welcome sensation from the perpetual dull ghosts of sensation she was by now used to feeling.

Shepard was overjoyed. The moment the Exo-frame was connected to her spine, she immediately tried to jump up. Shepard flung herself into the doctor, causing both of them to fall into the next bio-bed. The doctor quickly stood up and let out a string of condescending warnings about how Shepard’s haste could have put her entire nervous system at risk.

Two smooth blue calves placed themselves in Shepard's view.

Looking up, Shepard met Liara's amused gaze. “You know, you ought to do some…”

“Calibrations first.” Shepard finished Liara's sentence with a groan.  
Liara pulled Shepard up and sat her back on the bench. An hour of calibrations and trying out the different Exo-suits later, Shepard finally decided which one she wanted.

“The white one for meeting with people, the military grade one for missions and the black one for everyday use.” Shepard said with a wide grin as she tried to convince Liara that the cost was justified.

“There’s no need for that Commander. Two years ago, when you were still in a coma, many people donated large sums of money in hopes that you would recover. You have ample funds to purchase a whole star system, let alone three Exo-suits.” The doctor laughed at the shocked faces of the two women in front of him.

“Did you know about this?” Shepard asked Liara, her mouth agape.

“No. I did not.” Liara whispered back.

“The shadow brokers getting sloppy.” Shepard teased.

Liara lightly smacked Shepard on the back of her head, causing Shepard to yelp as the electrodes in her spine were jostled.

“You know I love you.” Shepard smiled up at her beautiful Asari.

“I know.” Liara smiled back.

The couple left the ward and headed to the cafeteria for lunch.

“I would like to meet them… The crew. Tomorrow?” Shepard asked around the Salarian sweetbread in her mouth.

“Tomorrow.” Liara confirmed with a small smile. She was not looking forward to having to explain her week long disappearance to the rest of the crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just...1700 hits? I don't know what to say anymore. Just. Thank you. Thank all you awesome people for making this kid one happy little potato. MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA BABY!


	11. Where do we go now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sooooo sorry for the long absence. I was partying for the last two weeks and got sick. I hope you can forgive me as I wrote an extra long chapter for you awesome people.

** Chapter 11 **

** 14 November 2186 CE **

** -Location Classified- **

** Rehabilitation Wing **

** No POV **

 

Liara awoke to soft kisses being peppered over her stomach. The ticklish feeling of Shepard's chapped lips caused her to giggle as she awoke.

 

“Good morning beautiful.” Shepard cooed as she cupped a hand behind Liara's neck and pulled her in for a kiss.

 

“Shepard.” Liara gasped as Shepard slid up her body, expertly pressing their clits together. Rocking slowly against Liara, the Asari couldn't help but groan softly. Her pregnancy making every nerve super sensitive.

 

“Liara, I love you so, so much. I don't want to forget you again. Please never let me forget you.”

 

“Never. I will never let you forget me.”

 

Breaking into a smile as she started to grind harder against Liara, Shepard asked Liara. “What does it feel like? To be pregnant?” Shepard was infinitely curious. For as a military woman, she had to undergo mandatory birth control procedures. Granted, she could reject the procedures and leave the military but that would be no use as her heart belonged to an Asari. And only Asari can carry Asari babies.

 

“It feels a little strange. Like there's a permanent weight in my stomach. There is also a slight buzz at the back of my mind where our daughter’s mind connects to mine. At the moment, she is no more then a large blob of cells and a half-formed nervous system so there is no coherent thought. But when I am due, I will be able to sense her thoughts.” Liara said, her eyes lighting up in happiness.

 

“That's amazing.” Shepard rubbed Liara's belly with soothing circular strokes. Her other hand grazing against Liara's entrance. The soft moan and the moisture on her fingers told Shepard that Liara was ready.

 

Shepard slid a finger into Liara, pumping softly. Liara's moans quickly rose in volume. With a shuddering sigh, Liara peaked and buried her face in Shepard's neck.

 

“I want you. I want you against me. Please Shepard make love to me.” Liara whispered huskily into Shepard's ear.

 

Shepard spread her legs, letting Liara between them. Their centres now fully together. The juices from Liara made lewd squelching sounds as they moved against each other. Entering into the bond, Shepard quickly peaked as well as their bodies and minds sparked off each other.

 

They were so caught up in their lovemaking that they failed to register the awkward paging of their intercom.

 

When Liara finally heard the intercom, she reached her second peak. Her fingers accidentally brushed against the accept button and the team of scientists on the other end were treated to a generous view of her assets and the intimate position she shared with Shepard. Cursing in her native tongue, Liara threw the blanket over her chest and picked up the communicator.

 

Clearing her throat, the red faced doctor squeaked slightly as she delivered her message. There were issues locating Shepard's final set of memories and that they would need to run some tests.

 

“Tell them, tell them we'll be there. We'll be there in…” Liara couldn't finish her sentence as she felt a hot tongue slide within her. The breathy moan she let out caused the doctor to go even redder and immediately terminate the vidlink.

 

** 11:24 AM GST **

** Rehabilitation Centre- Psychiatric Treatment Suite **

 

“Think of it like an OSD. The first drive has been fixed but the second drive is still damaged. The only problem is that we don't know exactly where the second drive is located.”

 

“Can't you just, I don't know, poke around in there with your memory machine and find it?” Shepard asked, clearly annoyed at being interrupted from her morning activities.

 

“We could yes. But it would kill you in the process.” The doctor replied with a sigh. “The machine works by targeting and amplifying the electronic signals in specific parts of the brain to aid in cognitive function. If we were to just poke around, we would be frying what's left of your brain. She continued.

 

Shepard threw up her hands in exasperation. “So you're telling me I will never remember the last few months of my life? Just fucking great. You know what Liara, I'm done with this place. Let's go meet the crew and get the hell out of here. I'm ready for the universe to know what a badass unkillable bitch I am.” Shepard promptly walked out of the ward in her brand new titanium plates combat exo-frame.

 

A stunned Liara followed silently behind. Leaving the doctor sputtering an apology.

 

** 12:04 PM GST **

** Rehabilitation Centre- Private Quarters **

 

All those who were able to be called back on such short notice were assembled. Jack, Miranda, Samantha, Tali, Garrus, Kaiden, Joker, Javik and Ashley. Except Doctor Chakwas, she was away on another medical consult

 

Shepard watched the rag-tag group through the privacy windows of the bedroom. Her eyes leaked happy tears as she finally was reunited with her family. In the living room, Liara was giving a solemn speech about how she had spent the last week “grieving for Shepard” and how she was ready to let her memory rest. And then Javik, the weird looking alien that Shepard had never seen before had to ruin it all.

 

“I sense another presence here. We are not alone.” He marched up to the privacy glass and peered at it. Shepard felt her held earth hatch in her throat as the aliens four beady eyes seemed to stare right through her.

 

Shepard turned away from the window and was about to run to the bathroom when the door was thrown open. _Shit._

“There is a presence I can sense it. It's... it's you.” Javik’s jaw hit the floor as his eyes focused on the unmistakable shock of red hair in front of him. His gaze was drawn to her spine where a series of shiny metal plates disappeared into her dress. She was wearing a backless red dress adorned with black highlights.

 

And then, she turned around.

 

“Hey guys.”

 

The clamour of voices was pure pandemonium as the crew surged forward to touch, hug and scream in happiness.

 

“Shepard we thought you died.” Garrus said, his mandibles tight with emotion, sub-harmonics broadcasting relief and curiosity.

 

And then all eyes turned to Liara. “WHY DID YOU TELL US SHE WAS DEAD?” the crew collectively shouted at Liara.

 

“Don’t be mad at her. It was my idea. I wanted it to be a surprise. Evidently that backfired yeah?” Shepard scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

 

Tali hugged Shepard tightly as she cried happy tears. “See what you made me do? I'm fogging up my mask you Bosh’tet.”

 

“Just to set this straight, I remember all of you but I have lost my memory of the last two years. I am told we defeated the reapers but I remember nothing.” Shepard's gaze landed on the strange new alien in front of her.

 

“Who are you?” She asked the four eyed being.

 

“I am commander Javik of the cycle before yours. I am the last Prothean. My vengeance is complete due to your actions during this cycle. You have my eternal thanks and respect. It is truly a shame you cannot remember. I have never seen a warrior so fearsome in battle, one so driven to complete their mission that they have given their lives twice over.” Javik stretched out his hand, splaying his fingers in an alien gesture.

 

Shepard eyed him quizzically. “It is a sign of shared respect when you return a Prothean salute.” With an understanding nod, Shepard mimicked Javik’s salute and pressed their palms together. Their bodies went rigid as their minds collided.

 

Falling over backwards, Javik sat up quickly in panic, grabbing the shoulders of the statue still commander. “Commander can you hear me? Are you alright? I forgot how primitive your nervous system is. The shock may have been too great.”

 

Shepard's eyes fluttered open. “I remember now. I remember everything. The reapers, the Geth, Thane, Legion. The Citadel. I remember all of it. I should have died. Why didn't I die?”

 

“You did die. Three times on the table and twice in the tank.” Miranda nonchalantly added from her perch on Jack’s arm.

 

“You knew about this?” All eyes turned to Miranda.

 

“Of course I knew. I'm the head medical specialist of the team that has been keeping Shepard alive for the last two years.” Miranda replied with an eyeroll.

 

“Then why didn't you tell us?”

 

“I didn't want to interrupt Shepard and Liara's reunion and thought that they would want to tell you themselves.”

 

“So the whole of this week you have been with her? You selfish ----." Ashley fumed at Liara.

 

“I think my translator just glitched. But yes I have been with Shepard and I doubt you would have wanted to be around for our reunion.” Liara lowered her eyes in apology.

 

“Of course we would've. It would have been so romantic like all those scenes in fleet and flotilla with She’lai and Bellicus.” Tali gushed.

 

“We were busy renewing our bond.” Liara quickly interjected.

 

“More like fucking each other's brains out for three days straight.” Jack deadpanned. “I know. Miranda told me how you two missed the first three days of rehab.”

 

Shepard did a small cough as Liara's face turned a deep purple.

 

“I see you have yet to fuck the prude out of Liara” Jack smirked.

 

“I have no qualms with intimacy. I just feel that such things should be kept private.” Liara narrowed her eyes at Jack.

 

“And that's why you flashed your breasts to the whole medical team this morning?” Miranda quirked an eyebrow.

 

“That was an accident!” Both Shepard and Liara shouted. “End of discussion. Moving on. It's great to see you all. Yes I have new legs.” Shepard ushered everyone out of the cramped bedroom and into the spacious living room, granting them a generous view of her exposed back and her new “enhancements”.

 

“Cybernetic spinal cord replacement synced to a pair of titanium-carbon fibre frames which allow bipedal locomotion.” Tali rattled off, two fingers resting on her vocoder.

 

“Hate to interrupt the nerd-love fest here, but can we just focus on the fact that the commander is alive? This calls for CELÉBRASION!” Vega suddenly burst into the apartment with two huge crates of alcohol on his shoulders, followed by an equally heavy laden Cortez.

 

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“And I was like damn it Vega, the left crate is for dextro stuff!” Cortex cackled as he recounted the ‘fun’ bits of the time they spent marooned on the planet they referred to as genesis. The crew laughed along with him as they remembered the circumstances that further bonded them together. Shepard simply smiled and nodded as she stood up to fetch more drinks.

 

“So Jack, Liara told me you’re married to Miranda. How’s that worked out?” Shepard asked as she came back to the table with a cocktail and a cup of juice for Liara.

 

“Well, to be honest, she still can be a workaholic bitch but she more than makes up for it in bed.” Jack smirked as Miranda shot her a scowl. “But she’s my workaholic bitch and the only woman who has ever stolen my heart. Jack pressed a kiss to Miranda’s mouth which quickly turned into a steamy make out session.

 

“Ahem.” Shepard cleared her throat as the couple nearly tipped over the couch.

 

“So how goes the rebuilding? I imagine the damage would be quite catastrophic. I wasn’t told much because I didn’t remember it anyway.”

 

“The damage _was_ really bad. All the mass relays are out of commission. Wrex and Grunt have taken the entire Krogan force back to Tuchanka. With the FTL drives that the Turians loaned them, they should be on the home stretch of their journey. The Asari forces have spread themselves out to search for any dormant mass relays so that they can reactivate them. They volunteered as they have the longest lifespans.” Tali bubbled on as she told Shepard about everything that had happened after the war.

 

The Turians, Quarians and Geth were still in orbit around Earth. The Salarians were the first race to make it back to their home planet due to their advanced FTL drives. Dextro food supplies were dwindling slowly. Basically, a way to repair and reactivate the mass relays was sorely needed.

 

The mood of the party turned solemn as everyone mulled over the tremendous losses suffered during the war and the great efforts it would take to rebuild from the ashes.

 

“Oh would you look at the time! It’s nearly two! Come. Let me introduce you to my favourite eating place in the Alliance.” Kaiden exclaimed as he tried to raise the spirits in the room.

 

The unanimous response was absolute.

 

Kaiden made a call to his friend and booked a private room for the crew.

 

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

** 2:17 PM GST **

** Alliance Plaza-Mc Shwarty ** ** ’ ** ** s Fine Mediterranean Cusine **

** No POV **

****

The food was excellent. Garrus burped in delight as he wolfed down his third portion of whatever meat substitute they used in the lentil curry.

 

“Oh how I missed good meat.” He chirped as he reached for a rib of roast lamb. He didn’t even bother to chew as he gulped the whole thing down, bone and all. Much to the horror of Tali. “Garrus you’ll choke! Please! Chew your food.”

 

Tali was able to eat solid food as she had removed her helmet’s mouthpeace and opted to seal the suit around her mouth. After, of course injecting herself with a massive cocktail of meds. Garrus rubbed his mandible against her mask in apology while Tali scooped a spoonful of mushy peas into her mouth.

 

Shepard and Liara were busy eating what was supposed to be a Thessian Kebab roll. It looked exactly like a normal Kebab except the meat was an iridescent blue colour and had spots of bright pink in it. All the food was artificially replicated but exceedingly delicious. Two years without interstellar commerce had greatly affected food supplies.

 

** Kaiden POV **

 

She was as beautiful as I remembered. Rusty red hair, a sea of freckles on her face, luscious red lips, eyes bright with life. She was-is my warrior angel, my Valkyrie. How can she not see that our love is meant to be?

 

Instead, she is sleeping with one of them. An alien. An Asari no less. Blue skinned parasites sheathed in a universally attractive body. The ideal sex predator. The parasite has already managed to defile Shepard and steal her genes. I cannot allow their progeny to be born. But how can I show Shepard the truth. She is so blinded by her attraction to Liara that no reasonable conversation will be able to sway her mind. I know what I will do. I will reach out to some old friends of mine.

 

She looks at me. Her grey eyes a sea of promise and hope. She truly is perfect. She represents the perfect example of humanity. She is passionate and resilient. I know the illusive man saw this when he chose to revive her. I now realise what his true plan was. He was right. Cooperation got us nowhere. By spearheading the war effort, we were able to defeat the reapers. We humans, managed to unite a galaxy to defeat the reapers. What did the aliens do? Nothing. They were more invested in looking out for their own kind. Shepard believes in a united galaxy. I believe in a united galaxy under humanity’s rule. That is the only way forward.

 

I give her a smile. The kind that no girl can resist. I know Shepard still has feelings for me. Why else would she seek me out after her resurrection? Why didn’t she leave me on the citadel after I was injured by the synthetic? I feel it deep down in my heart. I know she has feelings for me. She is just too blinded by her lust for Liara. Even Miranda confirms that. They spent three days having sex instead of going for rehab.

 

She returns it with an eyeroll. She leans and speaks something into Liara’s ear. The blue skinned alien nods in return. She gestures to me to follow her. I follow. This is my chance to show her the truth.

 

She ducks into the next empty room. I step through the doorway. She grips me by the neck and slams me against the wall. Her superior strength and my lack of biotics made my chances of escaping slim to none.

 

“I know what you are doing Kaiden. I know that look. Whatever you think is between you and me, it doesn’t exist. I am in love with Liara. She is pregnant with my child. We are happy. I am going to marry and spend the rest of my life with her. You got that? I know what you are Kaiden. I figured you out the moment I saw you. How many girls have you ruined? How many?”

 

“But those were…” I choke out.

 

“The records were expunged yes. But you forget. I’m a spectre. I read everything. I know how you charm them and take advantage of them. I know how it makes you feel powerful after you were bullied throughout your life for being a biotic freak. I know Kaiden. I went through the same thing in BMT. In fact… I was raped because of it. I never told anyone. I’m telling you because we both know what it’s like. So please I’m asking you as a friend. Forget about me. You will never get me.”

 

I drop to my knees gasping for breath as she releases me. _I will. After I show you the truth, you will come begging to me to take you in._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this chapter seems a little disjointed, I'm sorry. Having a cold severely restricts my brain power.


	12. Good news and bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all the awesome people who continue to read my fic. I got better and was dragged along to go camping. Had a lot of bored time so I was able to type this out on my phone. I'll try to update more often now but my part time work is starting soon so I'll see how it goes.

** Chapter 12 **

** Alliance HQ- Admiral Anderson ** ** ’ ** ** s office 0900 Hrs GST **

** No POV **

“Shepard! It is good to see you. I was told you woke up a week ago. Good to see you’re up and about.”

 “Anderson. I’m glad the reapers didn’t get you.”

 “Well you know me, it’s gonna take a whole lot more than what the reapers got to kill this old bastard. Though I didn’t walk away unscathed.” Anderson stood up to reveal a simple leg prosthesis. Giving Shepard’s hand a firm shake, Anderson lowered himself back onto his seat as he began addressing Shepard again.

 “Shepard… I know you just woke up and you’ve lost another two years but well… we need to know.”

 “Know what?” Shepard replied, her grey eyes fixing to the brown of Anderson’s.

 “Shepard. What happened on the Citadel? How did you defeat the reapers?”

 Shepard tried her damnest to remember but all she remembered was a lot of pain and talking to a strange boy.

 “I made a choice. I made a choice to destroy them all. I killed them. I killed them all. The Geth, EDI. But I finished my mission. I made my choice.”

 “What were the choices?” Hackett asked as he sat down opposite Shepard.

 “Anhilate all non-organic life and the reapers with them, take control of the reapers in return for giving up my life. Or I could have forced everyone to become fused with some form of biotech. Everyone and everything would be half synthetic, half organic. And finally, I could just give up and do nothing and watch as trillions of lives were wiped out. I didn’t want to die. I was bleeding out. I couldn’t even see five feet in front of me. I wanted it to end. So I ended it all. I chose to destroy everything. Was I wrong?” Shepard looked up with teary eyes as her gaze flitted back and forth between Hackett and Anderson.

Anderson was like the father Shepard never had. During training, he had pushed her harder than anyone else. He was the one who had pushed her to go for N7 training. He had also signed the first of the three required recommendations.

Anderson reached forward and wrapped Shepard in a hug. Just like that, the dam holding back Shepard’s emotions broke. Gripping onto Anderson like a lifeline, Shepard allowed her tears to flow freely. Everyone who knew her thought she was an unstoppable force of nature perhaps an unfeeling bitch. Few actually witnessed her true emotions. Fewer still knew of her weakness and the horrors that she witnessed on her final journey to the crucible.

Commander Jane Shepard had one major weakness. She cared. She cared about all the innocents she had seen slaughtered at the hands of the reapers. Every one of their faces were burned into her mind. Dragging herself through the bowels of the citadel had not only triggered the suppressed memories of Akuze and Alchera, but of her childhood massacre on Mindor.

“There we go. Let it out. Let it all out.” Anderson softly patted the woman he cradled in his arms.

“I couldn’t save them. I tried so hard and it wasn’t enough. Then I killed them all! The Geth, they were innocent.” Shepard’s voice cracked into a hoarse whine as her grief grew too much for words.

“The boy. That little boy in the vent. The one I found just after we escaped Alliance HQ. I watched him die. A reaper shot down his shuttle. I had nightmares. Did I tell you? I would chase him through the woods. Every time I got within a hair’s breath, he would burst into flames in front of me. Every time I couldn’t save him. I failed him, every time."

“But you saved them. _You_ saved us all. We wouldn’t be here without you. Granted, the last two years hasn’t been easy. But hell, we’re alive. And that’s all because of you Shepard. _You_. You did that. Now I know this can’t be easy for you but you have to make a choice. Do you want to stay dead?”

Disentangling herself from Anderson’s warm embrace, Shepard didn’t spare a thought. Being dead to the world certainly afforded her a great deal of freedom. Freedom she wouldn’t get if the galaxy found out she survived. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Hackett interrupted.

“I’m afraid that is no longer possible. Shepard, you were spotted by a reporter. None other than Khalisah al-Jilani. Rumours of your survival have already spread all over earth. The picture she has is also highly convincing.”

Shepard raised a brow. Hackett brought up a news feed on his omni-tool. The picture was a silhouette of Shepard tenderly kissing Liara as her hands rested on the Asari’s belly. The headline read “Infamous war hero Shepard alive? Liara T’soni expecting? Unfaithful Asari?”

“How did she get this? We were supposed to be in a private area. Kaiden saw to it.”

“Somehow a micro-drone managed to slip alliance screening to take this shot. I have tried to find the party responsible for this but have had no luck. I think the best course of action is to show yourself to the public at the upcoming Normandy tribute gala. Your appearance would boost morale tremendously and greatly aid interspecies relations.” Hackett bulldozed his way through Shepard’s stuttered hesitations.

“I can’t. Not right now. I have to ensure the safety of my family first.”

“So it’s true? Liara is expecting?” Anderson asked in awe. His expression quickly turned to one of deep puzzlement as he thought harder about it. “But she was gone for two years. An Asari’s gestation period is a year. Shepard the baby can’t be yours. The timelines don’t match up.”

“It does if you account for time dilation from using a black hole as a slingshot.” A black and purple Geth platform glided into the room. “I am unit 7411-7044 designation, Engineer platform.”

Shepard gaped at the active Geth Platform. “But you were all…”

“Affirmative. We were deactivated. However, Creator Tali was able to restore the collective to an operational state at 0423 GST today. She is currently re-tasking great numbers of platforms for the purpose of rebuilding the mass relays.” The platform suddenly stood up ramrod straight, its optic flashed rapidly, as if receiving a message via Morse code.

“Information: At the current rate of restoration, repair to the Sol relay should be completed in three months’ time.”

Shepard’s omni-tool buzzed unexpectedly. An excited Tali bounced on the other end. With her mask off, her glowing hazel iris ringed by cerulean circuitry betrayed the extent of her excitement. Silver lines were etched into her features in an intricate pattern, seemingly following the branches of her veins barely visible under her slightly translucent skin.

“Shepard. GET YOUR BUTT UP HERE! I discovered something. This could destroy the universe as we know it or irrevocably change interstellar travel. Oh and I’ve already called Liara.”

** Liara POV **

I was swamped by reporters.

“Liara T'soni can you confirm Shepard is alive… Are you and Shepard expecting a child?... What will you do now that the Normandy has returned to earth?... Who is the fa…” My chest tightened as the reporters pressed in on me. I had always been afraid of public speaking. I was never one for grand speeches. While Shepard didn't mind the limelight and occasionally basked in the attention, I preferred to stay behind holo-screens and locked doors.

My breathing quickened with my pace as I tried to get away from them. To no avail. They ran after me like starved hounds after a scrap of meat. I sighted the research complex in the distance. I was supposed to meet Shepard and Tali there to discuss some important finding.

A large hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. A wave of nausea washed over me. I felt bile rise in my throat from the motion. I felt sick. I pushed the offending Turian reporter away and turned around again to run. The motion caused my vision to blur as my nausea nearly caused me to black out. I reached the door of the complex just as my legs gave out and I collapsed into the hallway, the doors sighing shut behind me.

“Doctor T’soni are you all right? You look pale.”

“I’m not feeling so well. Would you be so kind as to escort me to the toilet?”

The blonde human slung my arm over her shoulder and gently ushered me to the ladies where I emptied my guts.

I felt a soothing hand rub up and down my back as I heaved and panted, gripping onto the rim with all my might. My face inches from the water.

“So is it true? Are you pregnant? And Shepard is alive?” The woman asked me. I stood up and after rinsing my mouth, replied her.

“I really must be going. But thank you. Miss…”

“Claudine. My name is Doctor Claudine Addams. I’m a gynaecologist by training but am currently working on my thesis for the Krogan fertility cure.”

“Thank you. I must be going now. I’m meeting Tali Zorah for a consult.”

I exited the bathroom and made my way to engineering research without a second glance.

** Alliance Research Facility- Engineering wing 1000 Hrs GST **

** Tali POV **

I admired my reflection in the mirror. I was naked. My semi-translucent skin glistened with water. I had just taken a shower. With water. I watched in fascination as water droplets ran down my chest and collected on the tips of my nipples. In all my memory, I had never been able to take a shower. I could only run cleansing cycles within my suit. Chemicals and anti-bacterial gas would be circulated throughout my suit. I ran my fingers through my hair. It was automatically atomised and used as a power source by my suit, thus it was short and resembled a sort of ‘pixie’ cut that some humans liked. I remember times when Shepard would joke and ask me what I really looked like under the suit. She would ask if I had long or short hair. The colour of my eyes and what I looked like. I wouldn’t be able to answer her as I myself had only seen glimpses of my own face. The last time I had fully removed my mask was when I was barely a teen, leaving for my pilgrimage. I had matured greatly since then. My body had filled out. My breasts were nowhere near as large as Liara’s but they were certainly larger than Shepard's I felt, attractive. I knew Garrus loved me even though he had never seen my real face. I hope I am pretty enough for him.

I looked at the new silver markings lining my body. They were Nano sized enviro-field projectors. I had managed to bond myself to a Geth the moment I had reactivated the first one. It took care of my health and greatly boosted my cognitive functions. I managed to reactivate 30% of the entire Geth population in a single night. I hoped to bond as many Quarians as I could. Soon no Quarian would have to wear another of those Bosh’tet suits.

I heard the Chime of the door and quickly dressed in a pair of human slacks. The pants were ill suited to Quarian legs so I rolled them up to my knees. I topped it off with a grey hoodie. I had always seen Shepard strutting about in her black N7 hoodie and was eager to see if it was really as comfortable as she boasted.

I keyed the access pad. The doors parted to show a slightly unnerved Liara. She gasped as she took in my outfit.

“Goddess! Tali you’re not in a suit!” She ran out of the room and slammed the emergency close button. I laughed as I spoke to her through the vid-link. I told her about my Geth enhancements and how I was now able to live without a suit. She visibly relaxed as I put her hand to my cheek.

“See? I can touch now. I can feel. I…”

My words faded as the handsome bony face of my boyfriend poked into the room. His blue eyes widening in shock as he registered that I was no longer in a suit.

“Tali… How?”

I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist. Bumping my forehead against his in a Turian style kiss, I nuzzled into his neck as he pressed his mouth plates against the top of my head. I could feel his nostrils flaring as he breathed in my scent for the first time.

“Geth enhancements. I just figured out how to bond to one.” Dismounting from his massive frame, I brushed a hair behind my ear as my gaze flicked to the floor. “I hope you still find me attractive after you’ve seen me. I know you like me but you’ve never seen me without a suit and I-“

His three talons wrapped gently around my three fingers as he used his other hand to raise my chin up. “Tali. You’re astoundingly beautiful. Please don’t hide your face from me.”

His talons rested on the back of my neck as he pulled me close.

Our noses were nearly touching as he breathed in deeply and slowly released his breath onto my face. My eyes began to water as I realised what he was doing. He was sharing his atmosphere with me. I couldn’t help but let out a happy whimper as I reciprocated the Quarian kiss, my fingers lacing into his fringe.

We broke apart to find a beaming Liara who had her omni-tool out and had recorded the whole thing.

“Shepard is going to love this.” She giggled.

“Love what?” Shepard dropped in from an overhead air vent, sweating and dirty.

“That.” Liara pointed to Garrus and I where our hands were still joined.

“Ohmygosh! I’m so happy for you Tali! But how? Wait don’t tell me. You figured out how to connect to a Geth?”

I nodded earnestly in response. _Looks like Shepard listened to Legion after all._

She started towards me with her arms spread wide, grinning from ear to ear.

I retreated into Garrus’ embrace. “Maybe after you’re clean Shepard, I may be able to survive germs but there’s no telling what could happen if I got dirty. Why did you come in from the vent?”

Shepard let out a small sigh as she lowered her arms. “Damn paparazzi reporters. Had to get creative. Anyway, what is it you wanted to talk to us about?”

“I figured out how to turn the mass relay back on.”

As I looked from face to face, I could see how the news affected each of them. Liara was clearly thinking of her home planet, Thessia. Garrus was thinking of his sister and father. Shepard’s face brightened with joy as she pictured everything going back to normal.

“How?” I chuckled as the million-credit question was finally asked.

“Through the great engineering wizardry of yours truly and the help of one dead reaper.”

I told them how I had figured out how the Citadel had sent out high energy pulse which instantly scrambled all advanced electronics while destroying the mass relays due to the extraordinary energies. Most importantly, I told them that all was required was time and eezo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tali no longer needs a suit! *Internally screaming for joy* GarrusXTali fluff incoming. I felt that Garrus and Tali didn't have any development in the games and I'll try to fix that. I needed a fix for the mass relays because of the next part of the story. This is not a fic detailing how the galaxy rebuilds. its a fic about the experiences and the relationships of the characters. As always, feedback and ego-stroking comments are welcome and greatly appreciated.


	13. Blood Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when a Quarian discards her suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3666 words of TaliXGarrus.

** Chapter 13 **

** Alliance Research Facility- Engineering wing- 2157 GST**   
19 November 2186 CE

** Tali POV **

****

I couldn’t concentrate. I had been re-calculating the same formula three times. My mind was wandering and my insides were vibrating like jelly. It was all the fault of the damnable Turian next to me. Each unfiltered word he spoke sent tremors throughout me. Every word he had spoken to me before never had this effect on me. It must have been the suit. It took away his sub-harmonics. Now without the suit, I was subject to the full effect of his criminally sexy, dual-toned voice.

“Garrus? Can you come here and take a look at this? I can’t seem to get it right.”

“Let me see.” His brow plates moved together as he concentrated on the display.

“Ah! Simple mistake Tali. You forgot to…” The rest of his words were blocked out by the rush of blood in my ears as his voice rumbled through me. My eyes focused on every ridge and bump of his face. The ivory white of his fringe, the mottled brown of his skin, the patch of scar tissue on his right mandible. I could just reach out and touch him. I wanted to. But I had a job to do. My focus was drawn back to the diagram for a split second as he deftly manipulated it with his talons. I was quickly distracted by the movement of his talons, the orange diagram fading into the background. I watched in fixation as he rotated and pressed controls on the interface. Using two of his talons, he split apart a portion of the diagram to get a better view of its insides. My mouth went dry as I imagined him using the exact same motion on me. I imagined how he would spread me with his talons. Yes. He would spread me, he would collect my wetness on his fingers. Then he would bring it to his nose where he would examine it with his Superior Turian olfactory sense. He would pick apart every scent that made me, me. Then he would taste it. He would taste it and proceed to insert two talons into me. Yes, he would-

My musings were cut short by a three taloned hand being waved in front of my face.

“Hello? Tali are you still there?” My eyes refocused as I snapped back to attention.

“Yes? What is it?” I asked, embarrassed that he had caught me in my daydream.

“You seemed a little distracted for a moment. Are you alright? Should we stop for the day? It is after all, quite late.”

We had been working non-stop nearly the whole day. Breaks were short and far between. Lunch and dinner had been simple heated ration meals. I was dehydrated, tired and way too turned on to focus on work any longer. But he didn’t need to know that.

“I-Yes, I think a short break would do us some good. We can’t afford to stop work. You heard Shepard, the sooner we get this done, the better.” I sighed. What I wouldn't give to curl up in bed and cuddle with him. Maybe that cuddling would lead to something more I mused.

“No. I think we’re done for the day. You need some rest. I can tell when your concentration is slipping. I’ve never seen the great Tali’Zorah getting stuck on a simple fourth state trans-warp equation.” He ran a taloned hand through my short hair and pulled me close. My heart was pounding at the unprecedented contact. The whole idea of direct skin to skin contact was still terrifyingly new to me. I had been wearing a suit all my life. Now I was able to feel everything, unhindered by the material of the suit. I relaxed into his warm embrace as I buried my face into his muscular neck. The rough texture of his skin so alien to the smoothness of my own. The contrast between my dense, soft skin to his hard plates. I greedily sucked in his scent. I could smell him now. The lack of suit filters allowing every minute trace of smell to enter my nose. He smelt of sweat, metal and grease. With a sexy undertone of plasma residue, no doubt left behind from his constant firing of his sniper rifle. The unique cocktail of scents only my Garrus could possess.

“Fine. We’ll stop for today. Just let me change my clothes. I can’t believe I sweated naturally today.” I giggled. Delirious at all the new sensations I could feel without a suit.

I hugged him tightly then went to retrieve my spare set of clothes from the wall mounted locker. Locking myself in the bathroom, I hugged my knees to my chest as I tried to calm my breathing. I could still feel the ghost sensations of his talons running over my skin. _Come on girl, control yourself. You_ _’_ _re acting like a Varren in heat. Even if you wanted to you can_ _’_ _t have him. Not yet! You still need to test for allergens and incompatibilities. ARGH STUPID IMMUNE SYSTEM!!!_

I looked at the shower head mounted on the wall. I had often heard Cortez teasing James about spending too long in the cold shower after his weekly sparring sessions with Shepard.

_Maybe a cold shower will help with this._

Peeling off my arousal soaked panties caused me to shudder as the fabric left my skin. _Okay, quick cold shower. Garrus is waiting for you. You need to get your arousal under wraps. Breathe. As Jack would say, calm your tits. You can do this Tali._

I stepped under the spray as I braced myself for the cold. Shrieking as I jumped out of the shower when the icy jets of water pelted my skin, my hands rubbed against my over-sensitive nipples, sending pleasurable shockwaves to my core. _THIS IS NOT HELPING AT ALL!_

Garrus’ voice reverberated through the door. “Tali are you ok?”

“I’m fine Garrus! The water was just cold.” I called back. My attention more focused on the yearning warmth radiating from my core. I rubbed my thighs together in an effort to relieve _something._ The rumbling of his concerned voice was not helping my arousal in any way.

“Are you sure? It sounded like you fell or something.”

“I’m fine Garrus. It was nothing.”

I let out a shaky breath as I made up my mind to do something I had never done in my life. I was going to masturbate. Like actually use my own fingers on myself. I never had the time nor the privacy to do the supposedly intensely pleasurable act. I swallowed thickly as I slid a finger between my folds. I could feel my moisture coat them. Further evidence of my insanely high arousal. I began to draw small circles around the small nodules around my opening. While humans and Asari had a single clitoris at the front of their vaginas, Quarian females had many nerve clusters arranged in a concentric pattern around theirs. An evolutionary response to the short time we could spend outside our suits while avoiding death. I decided to be adventurous and slipped a finger within my slick heat, stimulating the additional nerves that ringed the inside.

I was already so worked up that it was no surprise that I came within mere minutes of starting my ministrations. My breath caught in my throat as my inner walls clenched nearly painfully around my finger. Muffling a strangled cry with my other hand, I nearly drew blood as I bit down on the back of my hand. My inner muscles had small bouts of cramping as I had my first orgasm.

“Tali… What’s going on? Are you sure you're okay?”

“Y-Yes. Everything is fine Garrus. I just er-”

“I’m overriding the door. Something is not right.”

“Wait! I’m not dressed!” I quickly jumped into my clothes as I washed my hands of my fluids.

The door slid open just as I tucked my hands behind my back as if I was at parade rest. His gaze travelled all over the room, finally landing on me. My face heated up under his scrutinising gaze. I felt my insides tremble again as his predatory features focused on me. I felt like a little mouse caught in the sights of a great eagle. Every instinct was telling me to just give in and let him take me. I very nearly gave in to them. He stepped closer and seemed to be sniffing the air. _Ancestors! Was he smelling me? Could he tell what I just did?_

His head swivelled around the room again. The muscles on his long birdlike neck rippling deliciously as he scanned the room.

“Tali…” His gravelly voice turned my mind to mush yet again. My underwear becoming slick yet again. **_Shel_** ** _’_** ** _lahia._** _Just please take me now. Stop teasing me with your voice. JUST FUCK ME ALREADY YOU BOSH_ _’_ _TET!_

Just as my mind kept screaming at me, a part of me was rational enough to give a reply.

“Yes Gar-rus?” My voice went up an octave as his eyes narrowed on me.

“Let’s get you home Tali, it’s been a long day.”

“Yes please take me.” Unknowingly my voice had turned sensuous and my body was releasing pheromones that hit him in the face like a cargo freighter.

He coughed out a reply as I nearly swooned into him. “Take you home that is.” He said. His tone unsure. _Oh he thought. Keelah! He caught on to you, you gutter minded girl. Quick! Think of something. Say something smooth._

“Y-yes, yes of course, what did-do you were thinking otherwise?” My voice went all tinny as my cheeks heated up again. _Nailed it Tali._

 

 ** En-route to Alliance HQ-Tali ** ** ’ ** ** s private quarters- 2210 Hrs GST **

** Garrus POV **

****

I could've sworn I smelt the distinct scent of female arousal when I opened the door. I knew the scent after smelling it so many times on Liara and Shepard. But Tali is so pure, so innocent. She wouldn't do _that_ , would she? Then again, her glowing pupils were blown wide and she was expelling huge amounts of fertile female pheromones.

I shook my head to clear away the pheromone induced haze. I shouldn't be thinking of this now. I needed to concentrate on driving. Tali’s weird behaviour could wait.

When we finally arrived at alliance HQ, the amount of pheromones in the car was nearly overwhelming. My instincts were screaming at me to claim and breed the fertile female next to me. My rational mind was fighting back. _Spirits Garrus! Tali is not just a female to fuck and breed. She is your girlfriend who just got out of her suit for the first time in like, EVER! Quarians could just have a more developed pheromone system. Plus she couldn't conceive anyway. Your species are reproductively incompatible._

**Alliance HQ-Tali '** ** s private quarters- 2225 Hrs GST **

** No POV **

“Get some sleep Tali. You’re gonna need it. I’ll… I’ll see you tomorrow okay?” Garrus pressed a soft kiss to the top of the tired girl’s head as he stepped back to allow the door to close. With a great sigh, he loped back to his room. The room conveniently next to Tali’s. Pausing midstride to adjust his under suit, his mandibles pressed into the Turian equivalent of a tight-lipped frown. To his annoyance, his exposure to Tali’s pheromones had caused him to spread, his sensitive flesh now rubbing against the inside of his under suit. _Maybe I should head to the gym._ Just as he started to turn around, he spotted James and Ashley heading in the direction of the gym, decked out in exercise clothes. With his keen Turian eyesight and just a little help from his visor, he spotted the bright neon pink of Ashley’s bra strap. _Scratch that. With those two in there, it wouldn_ _’_ _t help anything._ Garrus huffed softly as he recalled what James had said. _Horizontal wrestling. Heh, have fun then. Fine I_ _’_ _ll just take care of it the old fashioned way._

****

** Tali POV **

 

Ancestors, I was burning up. The room was set to a cool 24 degrees and yet I was sweating. _Keelah! Was I sick? Did my Geth malfunction?_ I had stripped down to my underwear, the comfortable hoodie long abandoned for the cool comfort of air on my bare skin.

 “One, run full diagnostics. Find out what I am suffering from.”

“Affirmative. Running diagnostics.” I felt the hum of energy pass through me from head to toe. I examined my hands as the silver markings pulsed and moved with the motion of the nanites that were currently racing through my system. I breathed in deeply, trying to calm my racing heart. After breathing in and out about ten times, I gave up. Breathing exercises were not working. Why can’t I calm down? What is going on?

“One, give me a full report.”

“Health report #37 created at 10:25:38 PM GST. Subject: Creator Tali ‘Zorah Vas Normandy. Report as follows: Elevated core temperature and heart rate. No signs of outside infection. Scans indicate heightened activity in erogenous portions of the brain. Extreme Hormonal unbalance detected. Hormone levels indicate possible occurrence of **_Felz_** ** _’_** ** _tiyl Palla._** ** _”_**

“Lover’s fever? Keelah! This is not good. But I’ve not been near anybody except Shepard, Liara and… Garrus. By the ancestors. Could he be my **_saera_**?”

“Recommendation: Seek immediate medical help from Quarian Flotilla.” _Yes of course. I need to see a healer. But that can wait for tomorrow. I'm far too tired now to make my way back to the fleet._

I laid back down on the bed. I closed my eyes as I tried to quieten my thoughts. I thought about all the work that needed to be done. All the materials we needed. I worried about the galaxy’s reaction to Shepard’s survival. I hoped she could get us the engineers we needed. Annoyingly, my thoughts kept going back to one thing. Garrus. The way his muscles had rippled as he sniffed my scent. The way his hands had danced across the controls. The way he had eyed me as he opened to bathroom door.

 _What if I hadn_  't _put on my clothes? Would he have let go and taken me right there and then?_

I was acutely aware of the fact that the smoldering heat in my core that had been there all night was slowly but surely ramping up. Now it seemed that there was a furnace in my belly. I curled in on myself as the heat grew. Sweat poured down my brow as I tried to focus on anything other than my need to be filled by something. _Anything._ I felt my womb rumble its discontent at having nothing inside it. I gulped as I internally berated myself. _You STUPID GIRL! Why didn_ _’_ _t you get him tested first? You_ _’_ _ve seen first-hand how bad the fever can get. And you just waltz up to him unprotected the first time you get out of your suit. STUPID!_

I panted pitifully as I rolled my thighs together to afford a modicum of relief. _Big mistake._ I let out a sharp cry as sparks shot up my core. It was so painful and yet bursts of pleasure burned through my body. I nearly let out a wail as I slammed all three fingers of my right hand into myself. I let out rapid pained gasps as I worked them within myself.

My vision began to swim as I viciously pawed at my cunt. My pace frantic as I tried desperately to reach release. The noose of oxygen quickly tightening around my neck. In the distance I could hear the cry of someone in great pain or pleasure. I couldn't tell, my ears were ringing. My vision started to blacken as I realised the scream was coming from my own mouth. I choked in great sobs as my orgasm finally hit me. I spasmed and thrashed wildly on the bed. I wasn’t sure how long I laid there, soaked in my own fluids, waiting for the sun to come up. It was by far the longest, most painful night of my life. It was an endless cycle. I would fall asleep for about half an hour, wake up burning, finger my pussy raw and then cry myself to sleep. Needless to say when I ‘woke up’ the next day, I was exhausted. Both physically and mentally.

I was dying for some water but my legs were too weak to carry me to the kitchen. So I just lay there in foetal position, soaking in a puddle of my own arousal and slowly but surely dying of thirst. All due to my stupid mistake of coming into contact with my life-mate without a containment suit. _But he couldn't possibly be the cause. He's not Quarian. It's impossible for him to trigger the fever. And this is another reason why Quarians keep their suits on nearly their entire lives, to avoid the love fever until they are ready for the bonding._

My attention snapped to the door as the chime went off. I whipped my head around to glare at the clock. It was 7 in the morning. Time to get back to work.

 I rasped to the VI controlling the door. “Who is it?

“Tali it's me. Want to join me for breakfast? I hope you got a good night’s sleep because I think I figured out how to fix the problem with the power converter relays.” Garrus’ voice rolled through the intercom sending a ripple of pure pleasure through me. My insides jumping up and down in ecstasy. _Keelah. I'm going to die here in a puddle of my own cum._ “Open- open the door.” I rasped to the VI.

“Good morning Tal-I. By the spirits! What happened?”

 

** Alliance HQ- Living Quarters- 0658 Hrs GST **

** Garrus POV **

****

I was mentally reviewing all the parts we needed to get tested today. I prayed to the spirits that Shepard was able to pull off the miracle of uniting the galaxy for a second time. I knew that Tali was on to something. All her calculations pointed to the fact that fixing the mass relays was actually pretty simple. Fix the superstructure, dump a buttload of eezo into the containment rings and broadcast the activation signal, and voila! One working mass relay. The biggest problem with that plan was to find the correct signal and to actually get enough eezo to power the damn thing. Material was not an issue. The amount of space debris floating around up there provided more than enough material. We only needed salvage crews. Thankfully with the Geth coming online, we had round the clock mechanical labour to help with that.

As I approached Tali’s door, I realised that sounds of pleasure couldn't have been coming from James’ room. The room he had undoubtedly shared with Ashley last night was across from mine, a good 4 meters away from my room. With the thick doors between us, I wouldn't have been able to hear them anyway. My mind whirled. The only explanation would be Samantha or Tali. I knew that Sam had been visiting the local bar last night and had not yet come back to HQ. So that only left Tali as the culprit for making those noises. I grinned at the realisation.

 _So the great Tali'Zorah was so worked up by your handsome mug that she spent the whole night masturbating to you. Garrus you've got to step up your game._ Maybe an early morning coffee date will set the mood for the rest of the day. As I recalled Tali’s weird behaviour, I mentally slapped myself. _She had been so worked up by you yesterday and you didn't even notice. She even shared your atmosphere for spirits sakes! You know how intimate that gesture is. Damn it Garrus you ignorant bird! She was literally offering herself to you._

I pressed the intercom button as I crossed my arms and put on my most charming, smug Turian smile that I knew would knock Tali off her feet.

“Who is it?” A husky sultry voice floated out of the Comm. _Wow. Tali is really putting herself out there for you Garrus._ Her sexy voice caused my mouth to go dry and my thoughts floated away from me for a moment before I collected them and rushed out a reply.

“Tali it's me. Want to join me for breakfast? I hope you got a good night’s sleep because I think I figured out how to fix the problem with the power converter relays.” I made sure to use every bit of my sub-vocals to enhance my voice. I knew that women found the vibrations of Turian sub-harmonics incredibly arousing.

The door slid open and I walked in, mandibles pulled up in a salacious grin. I came face to face with Tali curled up in a ball, covered in what appeared to be her own bodily fluids. 

Her glowing eyes were full of pain and fear as she pleaded with me. “Garrus, help me.”

My mandibles went slack as she passed out.

“Officer Vakarian. My name is One. I am creator Tali’s Geth healthcare companion. She is currently experiencing acute symptoms of Quarian blood fever. She is also severely dehydrated. Recommendation: seal her in a containment suit and connect a fluid drip. Proceed to seek immediate medical attention from Quarian flotilla.”

I was internally screaming the whole way as I followed the Geth’s instructions. Jumping onto a private transport, curtesy of Admiral Anderson, I made my way to the Quarial fleet, cradling the unresponsive Tali in my arms. Thankfully, the pilot had already radioed ahead. So when the airlock opened, there was a full Quarian medical team ready to receive us. _Thank the spirits for the hero title. It sure comes in useful. And Anderson you lovely bastard, you may have just saved Tali's life._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank the spirits that the flotilla is still here no? Now Tali has her real life Bellicus. In the next chapter Shepard calls a meeting to discuss the next step in rebuilding the galaxy and an old enemy rears its head.
> 
> Felz’tiyl- Pathway to the soul  
> Palla- Lifemate  
> Saera- used when referring to one's lifemate


	14. From Ashes We Will Rebuild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter of fluff before the plot kicks into high gear again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who have been sticking with me for the past couple of months, thank you so much! Your support means a great deal to me  
> and for those who recently found my fic, welcome!  
> If it seems like my writing style changes a lot between chapters, that is because this is actually my first fic. Thus, I am always experimenting with writing. SO YOUR FEEDBACK IS MUCH APPRECIATED;)

** Chapter 14**

** 20th November 2186 CE **

** Alliance HQ- T'** **soni-Shepard Quarters- 0730 HRS GST **

** No POV **

“I love your boobs.” Shepard announced to the room. Her eyes trained on the dark blue peaks of Liara’s nipples.

 “What?” Liara cracked an eye open as Shepard buried her face between her breasts.

 Shepard murmured unintelligibly as she burrowed deeper into the blue valley. Cupping the two globes against her cheeks, Shepard nuzzled against them like a cat, rubbing her face against the two most perfect boobs in the galaxy.

 Suddenly popping up from between Liara's breasts, Shepard squeezed the archeologist’s ample bust. “They're so big and round and soft and firm and, and they're just perfect! And I think they've gotten bigger!”

 Unimpressed by Shepard's antics, Liara simply raised an eyebrow in accusation. “Are you complementing me because you're trying to get out of your agreement with Admirals Anderson and Hackett? If so, you already know it's not going to work. Now go get dressed and prepare your speech.” Liara tiredly dropped her head back onto the bed, her head was spinning and her back was aching. Her pregnancy was finally catching up to her. _Damn hormones._

 “But I don't wanna! And what I said was true. Your boobs are the best boobs in the galaxy. I mean look at yours and then look at mine!” Cupping her just barely past A-cup boobs, Shepard pouted like a child but broke into a rebellious grin as she straddled Liara and began pressing kisses to the Asari's slender neck. But before she could get close, she was met by a blue five fingered hand covering her face.

 “Shepard, leave me alone or so help me I will Biotic push you out of this house.” Irritation clear in her voice.

 “But I just want to stay here and play with your boobs. Pwease?” Shepard gave her best puppy dog eyes to Liara in hopes that she could avoid the horrors of public speaking. Another little known fact about Tara Grace Shepard is that she was absolutely terrified of making public speeches.

“Shepard.” Liara said in a warning tone as she sat up with Biotic energy crackling in her left hand.

 “Jeez! Fine Ms grumpy pants. I'll go get ready. Meet you later for lunch?” Shepard called over her shoulder hopefully as she slinked towards the bathroom to get ready for the shitstorm she knew was about to happen. Oh how she hated public speaking.

 “Don't count on it.” Came Liara's grumbling reply.

 

** Alliance HQ- Main Newsroom- Backstage **

** 0815 HRS GST **

** Shepard POV **

I looked at the ring in my palm. It was the one EDI had given me so long ago. Made from rare Earth metals, its band was made from black and red carbon fibre-ceramic, the same stuff that N7 hard-suits were made from. In the centre, a metallic jewel gleamed. The miniature earth dazzled me with its brilliance. I was beginning to wonder if EDI had specifically chosen this gift because she wanted Liara and me to get together. I was so deep in thought about the possibility of an AI actually breeding organics that I failed to register the presence of one Admiral Anderson. “That is a beautiful ring.” His rich voice caused me to jump as I quickly stuffed the ring back into its box and hid it under my jacket.

“So are you finally gonna do it? Marry Liara?” He asked. Giving me his famous suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

“I… I-yes. I’m going to propose to her. Though I think it's just a formality as. I mean, we're already living together and we're bonded and well… She's pregnant. I’m the father. I can't see myself living without her. I really, really love her and I just…I just want to spend every moment I have left with her. I'm just scared that I will turn out to be a horrible father or mother. Arrgh! Why did I fall in love with an Asari? Damn pronouns.”

Putting an arm around me, Anderson stroked my hair. “Relax kiddo. You'll be a great mom. Your life may not have had such a happy beginning but now, the future is in your hands. It is up to you to make your ending a happy one or a sad one. As a famous movie character once said, yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Anderson’s expression turned wistful as he slipped into reminisces of watching that holo tape countless times with Kahlee.

“Thanks for the pep talk dad. I'll ask her later after all this blows over.” I waved in the general direction of the doors which led to certain doom.

He chuckled as me patted me on the back. “Let's get this show on the road Shepard. Be ready to move out on my mark.” He gave me a mock salute as he turned and exited the prep room with a wide grin on his face.

_Well fuck. Show time._

The counsellors of the citadel races had stayed on the Destiny Ascencion, orbiting earth while the citadel was repaired. Thus, the newsroom was jam packed with representatives and camera crews. The usual logistics talk had gone on for about 15 minutes now and my nerves were getting to me. I knew Anderson would call on me within the next 5 minutes. He was now explaining to the council how with the help of the returned Normandy crew, intergalactic communication and commerce could be restarted.

“I believe, with the help of Commander Shepard, anything is possible. Commander, say a few words if you please.” _Deep breath. Here goes._

 I walked out of the prep room and immediately realised that the din of the room had completely disappeared. It was so quiet, I could hear my own breathing and feel the thrum of anticipation pulse through my bones.

 “Council members-”

 The press went crazy as they launched questions at me left and right. I knew the opportunity when I had one. Regardless of my fear of public speaking, I didn't let it show as I used my “commander” voice to quiet the room.

 “Council members, I am honoured by your presence. I do not know much about what has happened during the last two years as I was in a coma. I only recently awoke when my bondmate returned to me. However, I need your help once again. This time, it is not to save a galaxy, but to rebuild it. At this moment, my best friends and engineers are working on a fix for the mass relays. But we need your help and your resources to make this happen. Ladies and gentlemen, as of this moment, I am commissioning Project Rebirth. The largest rebuilding project ever. With each and every one of you helping, I think we can get things working within our lifetime. If not, think of your children and your children’s children. It is your duty to the Galaxy. Do not let this peace fail. If not, the reapers have still won.”

The room turned chaotic as I turned and walked out. Reporters and camera drones scrambling over one another to get just a few more seconds of footage of me. I let out a deep sigh to calm my buzzing nerves. _That went better than expected_ _…_ _I think._

** Quarian Flotilla-The Rayya- Emergency Room 1A **

** 0815 HRS GST **

** Garrus POV **

 I was told that the doctors had quickly found out what Tali was suffering from. They told me that it was easily treatable. However, should the symptoms continue, it could be life threatening. I walked over to the chairs outside the emergency clean room and slumped into one. My skin itched, having been scrubbed raw and sterilised twelve different ways.

 _Fuck I was stupid. I mean just because you see Tali out of her suit for the first time and she says that she has a Geth implant that prevents illnesses doesn't mean that you should go ahead and do something as intimate as breathe on her. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? YOU WERENT! THAT_ _’_ _S WHAT._

I buried my head in my hands as I sat outside the emergency room. I scratched at the old Turian enviro-suit I was forced to wear. I knew why they made me wear it. Safety of the fleet and all that. Doesn’t mean I had to like it. But I would put up with it for Tali’s sake.

 I wallowed in self-loath, repeating the same train of thought again and again. _Why did you do that? You know Quarians always get sick when they link suits. What if her body cannot adapt to you. You should have gotten tested first! You saw how sick she was, curled up on the floor of her room. The sheen of sweat on her. She was shivering and covered in clear sticky fluid that could have been her blood for all you know. She was so weak, so frail in your arms._ I never wanted to see her like that again. I could never imagine the lively and vibrant girl known as Tali ever being cold and lifeless. I internally keened at the thought. _I have no idea how Liara want through that twice. Then again she did try to kill herself._

Then it hit me. I actually didn’t really know anything about Quarians. I knew that they had basically non-existent immune systems and that they closely resembled humans, well asides from the glowing eyes, tri-digited limbs and reverse-bowed legs like a Turian. I fired up my Omni-tool and connected to the Migrant fleet’s database, searching for anything and everything I could find on Quarian anatomy, biology and customs.

  **Quarian Flotilla-The Rayya- Emergency Room 1A**

** 0815 HRS GST **

** Tali POV **

 I sighed in relief as the hormone injection began to take effect. The urge to mate slowly dissipated. Aches slowly faded from my body as my muscles relaxed. The lead female doctor gently parted my legs as the nurses began the second stage of the treatment. They would insert a small artificial gland into my womb which would regularly pump a cocktail of drugs and hormones into my system to hopefully trick my body into thinking that I had conceived and halt the effects of the fever.

I let out another sound of pleasure as the gland was activated and pregnancy hormones flooded my system. My body reacted to this by releasing huge amounts of dopamine causing me to feel extremely happy even though I knew it was artificial.

 “Tali’Zorah, I shouldn’t need to remind you that what you did was extremely dangerous and foolish. What were you thinking? Using untested Geth technology and immediately discarding your suit? Not to mention linking suits with someone unprotected!”

 I frowned at the doctor. _Granted, I should have had Garrus checked first but the technology was perfect! My Geth had protected me from every bacteria and virus that I had encountered in the brief 48 hour field test. It only didn_ _’_ _t protect me from the love fever because it was my own body_ _’_ _s reaction to Garrus. It was my own mistake and not the fault of the Geth._

“The Geth works! One has protected me from every bacteria and virus so far. He only didn’t help with the fever because it was an internal reaction! It’s not the Geth’s fault. It’s mine.” I protested to the unflinching purple gaze of the doctor.

 “Nonetheless, you should never have fully discarded your suit. You should have tested it in controlled experiments first.” The doctor paused halfway, her posture turned inquisitive.

 “But if I may ask Tali’Zorah, who is the lucky male to have triggered the _**Felz’tiyl Palla**_ _?” The doctor asked, her voice full of curiosity._

_My thoughts catapulted to Garrus. Where was he now? Was he okay? I prayed to the ancestors that he didn’t see my condition as his doing. It was all my fault anyway._

_"Garrus Vakarian.” I answered the doctor. Smiling as she lowered a helmet onto my head and sealed it._

_“Garrus Vakarian? Isn’t that a Turian name? But that’s not possible! Only a Quarian can trigger the **Felz’tiyl Palla.”**_ _The doctor exclaimed. Her eyes widening under the purple haze of her helmet._

 _“That’s what I thought. Apparently, it isn’t true. That, or we have once again pulled off the impossible. That_ _is_ _a recurring trait of the Vas’ Normandy family.” I proudly stated to the doctor._

 _“Ah yes, the miracle ship, captained_ _by the legendary commander Shepard._ _I take it this Garrus is the Turian serving aboard that ship?”_

 _I nodded in confirmation just as the lower seals of my suit were completed. Disconnecting the fluid drip from my arm, I asked the doctor “Can I be released now? I have to get back to work and I need to go for a_ _breakfast_ _date with my boyfriend before he tears down that bulkhead._ _”_ _I gestured to the sealed door with my thumb._

_The doctor laughed before she helped me off the bed and unsealed the clean room door. I could see her smile as Garrus came into view, his massive frame hunched over with his head in his hands. Looking every bit the worried, guilty boyfriend._

_" **Saera** , you look worried.” I giggled at Garrus. Who immediately stood up and wrapped me in his arms, hugging me close and spinning me around. I giggled again at the affectionate display. I rested my _ _chin_ _on his neck, quietly disappointed that I could not smell him_ _through the suit filters_ _. Though I will have to put up with this unless I want a relapse of the fever._

_"You have no idea how worried I was. I was so scared that you would die. I had,” He paused, then broke into a grin. “Still have no idea what happened to you. I’m just glad that you’re okay now. So please, don’t do that to me again.”_

_“Oh so a simple illness makes you scared for my life? What about all those times we followed Shepard into battle? I could have died from a nasty case of catching the bullet.” I teased._

_“You had kinetic barriers… Which I regularly boosted.” He grumbled, poking a talon into my shoulder. “This is different. No amount of barriers can save you from an infection okay?” He set me down and laid his large hands on my shoulders._

_“Anyway, what was it? Did I do something to make you sick? Can I get you anything?”_

_Aaaand just like that, the fearsome Turian once known as Archangel turns into a normal, worried and overprotective boyfriend. I smiled at him behind my mask, my eyes twinkling._

_“Don’t forget you still owe me breakfast.” I prodded him. Better to talk about the true nature of my condition out of earshot of other Quarians._

** Alliance HQ- Main Cafeteria  **

** 1420 HRS GST **

** Shepard POV **

I stood in front of the menu, tapping my chin as I tried to choose something to eat. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Tali and Garrus sitting down for their lunch. The way their heads were bowed close and their legs were rubbing against each other told me that they would probably like some privacy for their meal. I turned away and smiled under my hand. _Finally!_

I rolled my eyes as I saw the looped broadcast of my speech for the fourth time. Every time it looped, a new more cringe worthy headline was slapped on.

 Dragging my hand over my face, I ordered a chicken mushroom baked rice and an Eezo laced spicy noodle soup for Liara. The replicator whirred as it processed my order. Liara had told me that she was feeling under the weather. Thus, I ordered her favourite comfort food. A mix of Asian and Asari cuisine. The spice usually caused me to choke and immediately down a jug of water. A sight that never failed to cause Liara to burst out laughing.

 I shot Tali a grin as I walked past them with my food packages. _Time to get back to Ms Grumpy pants. Hope she’s in a better mood now._

I opened the door to find Liara reclining on the couch, legs spread with one hand working languidly between her legs, the other furiously typing away on a holographic keyboard.

  _My master multitasker._

“I see you started without me.” I gestured to her busy hand while I set the food packages down on the table. With a few flicks of her hand, she saved her document and closed the holographic interface. Giving me her full attention, she withdrew her arousal slick fingers from herself before inserting them into her own mouth and sucking them clean. My throat went dry at the sultry display. My mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water as all coherent thought left my mind.

“Well I was tired, then I was horny and now I'm hungry.” She licked her lips and I swear she was purposely doing everything to rile me up. I felt the temperature of the room rise ten degrees.

“You want to… Lunch? With meahh-ha-ha?” I snapped my jaws shut so hard I felt my teeth rattle.

 “And that’s how you reduce Commander Shepard to a babbling idiot.” She chuckled.

The blue goddess smirked at me as she picked up the bowl of noodles. Her smooth back arching in the most pleasant way. As she returned to the couch, she flipped a blanket over her front like a sash, crossing her legs at the same time. Hiding everything I wanted to see.

  _Damn this woman will be the death of me._

** Alliance HQ- Main Cafeteria  **

** 1420 HRS GST **

** Tali POV **

 

 _To hell with it._ I thought as I locked eyes with Garrus. My glowing hazel orbs meeting his ice blue ones.

 “Garrus, I need to tell you about my condition.”

His posture straightened and his tone grew serious.

“I'm going to start off by saying that I'm not in any immediate danger. Unless the treatment fails. Then things get a whole lot more complicated.”

 I wrung my fingers together as I thought of how to break the news to him.

** Garrus POV **

 I could tell Tali was bracing herself for what she needed to say next. Her shoulders were tense and her eyebrows were pressed tightly together. _Oh boy, here comes the big but._

“I need to get pregnant.”

 I choked on the piece of meat going down my gullet. _She needs to what?_

I hacked and coughed as I finally managed to dislodge the obstacle blocking my airway and took a deep wheezing breath.

 “You need to WHAT?” I cried, my voice going up an octave and my sub-harmonics reverberating in shock.

 “I need to get pregnant. Or we could wait 9 months for my treatment to conclude and spend the rest of our lives together with me in a suit.”

The Turian in me roared in anger. _Someone else impregnating my mate? Inconceivable._

 “There has to be another way.” I growled. “I will not allow another Quarian to get his hands on you.”

 My heart twinged in regret as I began to apologise for what I did to her. _I should have never done what I did._

 “It's all my fault.”

 “Garrus, no. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should have never fully removed my suit or come into such close contact with you. It's my fault for disobeying a hundred Quarian customs just for one selfish moment with you. I'm sorry that I ruined things between us.” Tali hung her head in shame.

 “No Tali, it's my fault. I shouldn't have shared my atmosphere with you. I read up on it. I'm sorry it was not my place. I should have waited. After all, Quarians only link suits after they have bonded and are ready to start a family. But Tali do not be afraid. If you have to spend the rest of your life behind a mask and in a suit, I will be there, right behind you, every step of the way.” I raised my hand in front of her face and took off one glove. Revealing my sharp talons. Gently pressing it to her faceplate, I carved in the symbol of my name, just above her cheek. Her eyes sparkled with happy tears as I entwined my bare fingers with hers.

 “I promise you that.” I said, squeezing her fingers tight.

  _I will never let you go._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, who dosent love Liara's boobs? Theyre just SO BIG! Also im trying to capture the sudden but strong relationship between Tali and Garrus. Did I succeed?
> 
> Felz’tiyl- Pathway to the soul  
> Palla- Lifemate  
> Saera- used when referring to one's lover


	15. The Little Black Box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooo boy. I've met the big three. I just can't thank you enough. Your support means a great deal to me.  
> Again, if it seems like my writing style changes a lot between chapters, that is because this is actually my first fic. Thus, I am always experimenting with writing. SO YOUR FEEDBACK IS MUCH APPRECIATED;)
> 
> Also shoutout to my wonderful wall for supporting my crazy ideas and being there for me to bounce ideas off it.

 

** Chapter 15 **

** Three months later **

** Earth **

** No POV **

“Ah! Here we are. No more fancy restaurants with fish tanks for me to fall through just good’ol brick and mortar.” Shepard said as she helped Liara disembark from their shuttle.

 Shepard nodded to the bouncer as he quickly stepped aside to permit entrance to the couple. Grinning broadly all the way as he clapped one giant hand on Shepard’s back and proudly proclaiming to her that Elsa had saved them a number 2.

“So _this_ is what you meant when you said you were taking me to try some old earth charm?” Liara raised an eyebrow. Clearly unimpressed by the dingy old bar. The grimy windows and the bleached red curtains. Glancing over the bright pink neon sign advertising the place as _The Winter Well._

“Trust me, your attitude will change once you have tasted the wine and had the food here.” Shepard laughed as she pushed open the door.

The bar looked like it came straight out of the 1980’s vintage bar stools ringed the bar. Flaking posters of pin up girls adorned the yellowed walls. However only one thing stood out to Liara. She could only see females in the bar, asides from the gruff hunk of muscle that had greeted Shepard at the door. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in every bit of information she could glean with her eyes. From the couple busy snogging in the corner to the woman wearing one red and one yellow sock, to the familiar dark skinned woman seated alone at the bar.

“Shepard, is this?”

“A lesbian bar? Yeap. London’s best.” Shepard replied. Popping the ‘p’ as she nodded enthusiastically. “I stumbled onto this place way back when I was still in BMT. I met my first girlfriend over there.” Shepard pointed to the last table in the corner. The one with a perfect view of the entire room and all the exits to it. Ushering Liara over to it, Shepard pulled out the chair for her as she called to the bartender.

“Shepard, luv. Havn’t seen u ‘ere in aaaaages. I trust the alliance has been keeping you well fed since the war ended?” A tall platinum blonde woman said. As she held Shepard’s hand. Batting her long eyelashes and showing off her plump lips and purple eyeshadow. _How dare she?_ Thought Liara. _Shepard is mine. How dare she try and woo my bondmate!_

“Yeah, you could say that.” Shepard smiled at the woman. Slipping her hand out of the blonde’s grip, Shepard proudly caught hold of Liara’s blue one. “Elsa, I’d like to introduce you to my bondmate, Liara T’soni.”

“Ah. The brilliant and astoundingly beautiful Asari doctor serving aboard the Normandy. I must say Shepard, you snagged quite the catch. Smart and beautiful.” Elsa licked her lips in a downright lascivious smirk. “Now, what can I get you two beautiful ladies?”

“We’ll have a number two special, two number 9s, a number 9 large, a number 6 with extra dip, a number 7, two number 45s, one with cheese, and a bottle of your best wine.”

Elsa tucked the pencil behind her ear once she had finished scribbling down the large order. “Are you sure? That’s _a lot_ of food.”

“Well I have to fuel my implants and Liara’s eating for two.” Shepard grinned at the incredulous gape on Elsa’s face.

“For two? I didn’t realize you were… Wow! How far along is she?” Elsa spluttered as she stared at Liara’s belly.

“She’s five months along now. We had her during the war. I know I don’t look like it but that’s because she started towards the back of my womb and won’t protrude as much.” Liara boasted to Elsa. Relishing in the way that the blonde’s hand had quickly retracted from trailing up and down Shepard’s arm. Elsa quickly walked away to input the order after that to save herself from further embarrassment.

“You didn’t have to do that you know. Elsa’s like that. She hits on anything with a hole. You know I have eyes only for you.” Shepard leaned forward, holding Liara's hand as she snickered at Elsa’s rapidly retreating form.

“Uh-huh. So why then do you stare at your assistant’s posterior when you think I’m not looking?” Liara questioned. A self-satisfied smirk crawling up her features.

“I mean she has a great ass” Shepard blushed. “But-but you know my heart belongs to you.” Shepard quickly corrected herself. “Anyway, I think Trainor might be having some company tonight.” She pointed to the bar where a petite Asian woman was chatting up the comm specialist while Liara chuckled at the obvious subject change.

** The Winter Well **

** Trainor POV **

I sat in silence, swirling my half finished gin tonic. (my go to thinking drink) Scoffing to myself. _What did you expect? What, that the great commander Shepard would notice a nobody Comm specialist like you? In your dreams Trainor. **Only** in your dreams. You heard the rumours that Shepard was involved with an Asari on the first Normandy. Hell there were even rumours about the Turian. Jack and Miranda? They were already arguing like an old married couple. Tali? She had an excellent ass but she was as straight as an arrow. Face it Trainor, you had no hope with any of them._

As I thought of Shepard, I couldn't help but think of the time I had accidentally walked in on her showering when her cabin shower had broken. I remembered how the water had flowed so erotically down her muscled back, over her chiselled abs and down her slender powerful legs. I grew wet at the thought of that raw power over me, holding me down as she feasted on me. The way her abs would flex as she cried my name. The way her red hair would be matted with our fluids. The way her piercing grey eyes would search my soul as she drove me to the heavens with her tongue.

My lustful daydream was cut short by a melodious yet powerful voice that demanded my attention in the gentlest way.

“You look like you need some company.” Said the lithe Asian woman standing next to me. Her short bob was black yet had an iridescent shimmer about it. Two bright blue highlights framed her face. Simple black eyeliner frame her eyes, accentuating them in the warm darkness of the bar. One blue, one yellow.

“Samantha.” I introduced myself. “Comm specialist aboard the Normandy.”

“Faith.” She replied. “Covert Comm agent in London. I was a runner.”

We talked about our jobs during the war. She had run countless times through the reaper infested boroughs to deliver essential information when the Infonet was down. The forces on earth relying on old school paper and pen that couldn’t be traced or hacked by the reapers.

I told her about all the beautiful women aboard the Normandy and how even such a prime specimen of intellectual prowess such as myself was unable to sway them.

She laughed. A laugh like Prismarine shards tinkling in the breeze. I found myself instantly entranced by this woman.

“You know what? You need to get out of your comfort zone. See the world in a different way. You need to see this city as I do. C’mon.” She grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the bar as she threw a credit chit to the bartender.

“Wait, wait. Before we go anywhere, you should know I play for keeps.” I sputtered, still entranced by the way her hair gracefully fluttered in the wind.

“So did I.” She replied. “At least that was until my Girlfriend died.” She added after a pregnant pause. “C’mon just live a little tonight.” She let go of my hand and raced off.

** Earth-London- Shimmering Heights **

** Trainor POV **

“Hold up Faith! I can’t. I can’t keep up.” I wheezed as I gripped my knees trying to suck air into my burning lungs.

“Right. Forgot, not a runner.” She slowed to a trot as she laughed at me.

“Here, drink this.” She chucked a small vial of blue liquid at me.

“It helps your body metabolise oxygen faster.” She explained when I shot her a look.

Knocking back the vial of tasteless, metallic smelling blue liquid, I immediately felt the burning in my lungs cease and my vision turned dark for a few moments. My knees turned to jelly and I blacked out. When I came to, Faith was standing over me, her eyes squinting at me and a small silver charm dangled from the chain around her neck.

“Wha…?” I sat up as I shook my head to clear the fog surrounding my senses.

“Sorry about that. Side effect. Too much oxygen at one shot. You’re gonna be just fine. I hope you don’t mind but I carried you the rest of the way.” She grinned as she helped me to my feet and gestured out to the beautiful uninhibited view of London. “Welcome to London. Or as we runners like to call it, the City of Glass.”

 I gasped as I took in the amazing view. “Wow. It’s…beautiful.”

“And it gets better.” She said as she pulled me in for a kiss.

Her lips were _so_ soft. Our bodies melded together as our tongues danced and battled for dominance. She slowly lowered me to the ground as she plundered my mouth. A toned thigh pressing into my core as I whimpered from the intimate contact.

Pushing her off me, I put a finger on her lips as she tried to kiss me again. “One thing you should know before this goes any further is that I play for keeps.” I said. The memory of speaking those exact words to Shepard echoing in my head.

“You already said that.” She laughed as she captured my lips again, lowering me onto the floor.

She suddenly stopped as she pulled off her shirt. Revealing her black sports bra and the three doves tattooed under her collar bone.

“Wait, what? We’re doing it here? ON A ROOF?” I asked. Fear creeping into my voice as she straddled me and smugly replied.

“Duh. We’re stepping out of your comfort zone remember?” Faith let out a devilish giggle.

She swiftly rolled me over and whipped off my pants in one smooth motion. I screamed as my torso was hanging off the roof. I could see the traffic far below us like miniature toys, gliding along the roads.

“Oh my god! No! Please stop! Nonononono!” I screamed.

“Shhhhhh. Calm down. I won’t drop you. Relax.” She said as she stroked my back. The cold air blowing against me causing my nipples to harden through my clothes. The fear of falling pumping my adrenaline up to maximum levels. I moaned softly as she began to massage my folds, her fingers expertly toying with my button and waltzing perfectly within me. Having been denied for so long aboard the Normandy and with the added thrill of doing this in public where anyone that looked up could see us, I peaked quite quickly. My pussy clenching around her fingers. I cried out into the night as I came.

“Shhhhh. Do you want us to get caught? Keep it down!” She hissed as she entered me again. “You know, I can tell you really needed this. Let me guess, your vibrator wasn't enough?”

“Not a vibrator, more like a toothbr….hnnnn.” My words trailed off and my mind turned to mush as she worked me to a second orgasm within 10 minutes.

Withdrawing her fingers from me, she stuck them in her mouth, tasting my juices.

I flipped over and gazed at the wonderful sight of her sucking off her long slender fingers. I greedily gulped in air as the wind blew, cooling my overheated and hypersensitive sex. Regaining my breath, I launched myself at her with zeal as I ripped off her bra and roughly pulled off her pants.

“Someone's excited.” She laughed as I pushed her into a kneeling position with her supple ass sticking up to the grey night sky. “No, I'm angry.” I grunted back to her as I lined up my hand with her round globes.

“I told you to stop! I'm terrified of heights okay?! But nooooo, stubborn runner like you wouldn't listen to me.” I punctuated each sentence with a resounding smack to her firm buttocks. Instead of apologising, she instead let out sharp moans each time my hand made contact with her quivering flesh. A bright red hand print glowed on her pale skin.

“Mmmm, I've been a naughty girl haven't I? I deserve to be punished.” She moaned as I slipped a finger under her thong and prodded her wetness.

“Punished? Oh you're gonna get it good.” I said as I lightly smacked her engorged button. _So you want to play like that huh? Well then let me show you Trainer the trainer of the worlds most obedient pets._

“Seriously? You gotta be kidding me. With that voice?” She threw her head back in laughter as I sputtered. My face flushing red.

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Mhm.” She nodded, doubling over in laughter again.

“Fine, then I will just have to ravish you until you beg for forgiveness.” I set my jaw in determination.

“I'd like to see you try.” She taunted.

“Oh it's on.” I pushed her onto the floor as I began to work my lesbian magic on her. Making love to her as only a woman can.

** The Citadel-Presidium wards **

** No POV **

Shepard and Liara looked out over the park. Much of the debris had been cleared, but a large chunk of twisted metal had been left in the middle of the park as a reminder. The _Citadel memorial_ it was called. Built in remembrance of all those who gave their lives in the assault on earth. Shepard knew her name was the last one on the list. Closest to the ground. The metal had been discoloured from the number of people that had touched her name in reverence over the last two years. Now, it was touched by people seeking help in the impossible. Shepard rolled her eyes. It seemed that a cult had been created around her.

Shepard reflected internally on the past three months. She had been promoted to the rank of commanding admiral. A new rank created entirely for her. It was so that she could have the recognition she deserved while still being called commander. “For morale reasons” as Anderson had put it.

She had also been voted into office as the galactic counsellor. In charge of overseeing the galactic rebuilding effort and representing an unbiased opinion on counsel matters. Just this morning, she had sent off the first pathfinder mission through the newly repaired Charon mass relay. An elite multi-species team of specialists that were put together to rebuild the mass relay on the other side and ensure that the whole system could be repaired and restarted. Paving the way for the rejuvenation of intergalactic travel and commerce.

Now her attention was focused on the beautiful Asari in front of her. Liara’s hands rested on her belly, caressing their steadily growing child, their _Joy_ through her elegant white dress.

Liara was resplendent. Her eyes glowing in the soft light. She smiled tenderly at Shepard. At this, Shepard's gaze faltered. The little black box resting against her thigh seemingly burning a hole through her pants. Shepard had been planning this outing for months. The night so far had gone perfectly. Dinner had been an exquisite affair, with fine wine and excellent food. Thankfully for Shepard, due to Liara’s robust Asari regeneration, alcohol would not affect Joy at all.

“Liara.”

“Yes Shepard?” Shepard hesitated for a moment. _This is it Shepard, no turning back._ Making up her mind, she let out half a breath as if she was steadying her sniper rifle before steeling her jaw and jumping off into the unknown.

“Liara, I'm not sure of the Asari custom for this but…” Shepard dropped to one knee as she retrieved the black box and presented the ring.

“Shepard are you…”

“Yes Liara. You are the light of my life, the rock upon which I cling to when the currents of life are too much. You have always been there for me. In my darkest hour, you were there, right beside me weathering the storm alongside me. And when I… Wasn't with you, you held on when no one else did. You didn't give up on me. You did everything in your power to bring me back. You even worked with Cerberus for my sake. So now, I commit my body, mind and soul to you in the form of this ring. As this ring has no end, neither will my love for you… Liara T'soni, will you marry me?” Shepard looked everywhere but Liara as the question hung in the air for a few seconds. The strain on her legs and back becoming acutely obvious in the tense silence.

Liara pulled Shepard up from her knees, kissing the shorter woman senseless. “YES! A thousand times yes! Oh Shepard.”

Liara pressed her lips to Shepard's again as their minds collided in the meld. The sheer joy bursting from both of them forming a golden orb in their mindscape. A tentative push from another entity that was definitely not either of them made the moment infinitely better.

“Was that…?” Shepard asked in disbelief.

“Yes Shepard, that  _was_ Joy. She just melded with us for the first time!” Liara cried. Tears of joy welling at the side of her eyes.

Shepard kissed her again, her hands meshing with Liara's crests as Liara carded her fingers through her hair.

Liara brought up her hand for Shepard to slip the ring onto her finger.

“Shepard, it's beautiful. Where did you get this?”

“EDI gave it to me. Before the party. She meant nothing by it I assure you. Though I think she was trying to nudge me to take the next step with you. I forgot about it afterwards, y’know because of the reapers and Cerberus and well… Two years in suspension and, and I felt now is the perfect time to do this. With the reapers gone and us not being in danger of suddenly dying, my counsellor job stabilising, no ones trying to kill each other and…”

Shepard's rambling was cut off as soft blue lips crashed to hers. “You talk too much. You already did it. You've got me Mrs Shepard.”

Liara beamed as she separated from Shepard, again admiring the ring. Suddenly, she began hopping from foot to foot. “Goddess! I need to tell Tali!”

“No. We need to tell _everyone_.” Shepard gleefully smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you guys watched the new ME:A briefing? I mean. Shit man, the Tempest looks cool AF. Mining, driving and PAINT JOBS! ME:A just keeps getting better and better. I can't wait for march.


	16. Star Flung Fantasies And New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait everyone! Work has been realllly busy. School starts in a couple months time so expect the update schedule to be intermittent at best. I want to thank all who have stuck with me. For those who are new, welcome! I hope you enjoy reading as much as I love writing. And yes, I am dirty minded. Fair warning for smut if you haven't already taken note. For those who enjoy that sort of thang, hope you like it. Damn it. I'm rambling again aren't I? Shit.
> 
> Well, enjoy!!!

** Chapter 16 **

** The Grand Lotus Hotel -9:47 AM the next day **

** Faith POV **

“Whelp, that was certainly something.” I said aloud as my gaze drifted to the beautiful dark skinned woman still asleep next to me.

I slowly eased out of the bed to avoid waking her up. _What was her name again?_ I walked to the bathroom to wash off the rest of my ruined makeup. I was sore and hurting in the best way. I opened my omni-tool to check the time. _9:47 damn I slept in._ In the background, Celeste beamed back at me and my heart broke in two again.

I fell to the floor, my tears leaking out uncontrollably. I had tried. Again and again to move on. To forget. I ran my fingers through the hologram. _I'm sorry Celeste, I can't forget you._ Her last words to me echoed in my head for the millionth time.

_“Just have faith, Faith. I'll be right behind you.”_

I remembered her screams as the grotesque blobs of flesh called cannibals brutally gunned her down and then proceeded to eat her, tearing her limb from limb. I remember her dead glassy blue eyes staring lifelessly at me as I left behind everything I knew and loved. That day, Rachel Connors died with her girlfriend and out from that pile of rubble walked Faith.

For two years I had tried to drown myself in drugs and pussy. Each time, I felt emptier and my will to live lessened. I wished I had died that day with her. But now, I've met _her._ The exact carbon copy of Celeste. Meek and mild mannered with an exceptionally cute body to boot. Ever since I set eyes on her, I wanted her. I wanted to know her. And last night, I fell in love with her.

Everyone knew about Shepard. Knew about doctor T’soni. Even Garrus Vakarian and Tali. Everyone knew about the heroes of the Normandy. But nobody knew of all the other crew members. Nobody knew of the nobody's. But I knew. I knew because I was one of them. I was a faceless runner, risking my life on the battlefield without any recognition, only known by the callsign Faith. Nobody knew who Celeste was. Nobody cared.

_But now I have_ her.

“Samantha.” The name rolled off my tongue like a…a _I don't know_. But fuck, the name sure as matched the uncontrollable ball of energy in my bed last night. We had gone six rounds straight on the roof, stopping for about 10 minutes as we stumbled into the hotel and Sam slammed her ID on the counter. The wide eyed guy at the counter immediately led us to a penthouse suite without any further questions. Apparently being registered to the Normandy afforded you first class treatment, no questions asked. _That_ or the two obviously horny lesbians busy making out in front of him.

I was still staring at my reflection in the mirror when Sam walked into the bathroom. Her hair wonderfully dishevelled. Dark blotches dotted her neck and her delectable chocolate brown nipples were still taut in the cool morning air.

“I was wondering where you went.” She said in a hoarse chuckle.

“That was good ‘innit?” She asked, clearly referring to last night.

“The best.” I replied, flashing her a smile. Pulling her close, I kissed her. Pouring all my emotions and passion into it. Breaking apart to pant for air, the specialist grinned.

“How would you feel about being my plus one to Commander Shepard's bachelorette party?”

“I what? Commander Shepard… bachelorette party?” I stuttered. Stunned to be getting the chance to meet the woman, the legend.

“Come on. It will be fun. You'll get to see the real commander Shepard.  Not to mention the ridiculously pretty doctor T'soni. Though she _is_ pregnant.” Sam cupped my cheek as she pulled me in for another sensual kiss.

“What's she like? The commander that is.” I was curious to know the woman. I mean she saved the whole goddam Galaxy. Who wouldn't want the honor of saying they had shook her hand.

“She's… intense, funny, determined, fiercely loyal and hot as hell.” Sam laughed back, her eyes twinkling. _Do I detect some hero-worship-crushing-on there?_

“Mhm. Hot as hell is right. Liara T'soni is one lucky woman. I heard a rumour that they only sleep together naked.” I sucked her bottom lip as she idly traced patterns on my back.

“That they do. Shepard always says how lucky she is to wake up naked next to the most beautiful woman in the world and Liara always returns the sentiment.” Sam said with a nod that jiggled her breasts in a most delicious way.

“Although, I have seen the commander naked.” She said as she circled her fingers in the universal ok signal and closed her eyes as if she had just tasted the best wine in the world. “Mm-mmmm.”

_Oh my god. The lucky Son of a bitch._ Seeing _the_ commander naked was probably every lesbian’s/guy’s wet dream. Not to mention all the people that had no doubt jacked off countless times to that picture of 17 year old Shepard modelling in a bikini.

“You absolutely _have_ to tell me about it.” I begged. And she told. Every little detail. From the N7 tattoo under her left breast to the spattering of freckles above her belly button to her neatly trimmed bush that hid the wellspring only one Asari was allowed to drink from. In other words, undeniably the hottest woman in the Galaxy.

** 16000 kilometres out from Charon relay- 2:34 AM **

** No POV **

Professor…no _Director_ Zoil hurried. As fast as he could without scuffing his brand new Klyonthian leather shoes. He was a man on a Mission. A Mission from god. For too long now, the aliens had held all the power. Now with The Shepard successfully destroying the reapers, the aliens would have no choice but to listen to the humans. Their ivory towers would be knocked down and replaced by the grandeur of human architecture. The age of the citadel was over. It was now time for the sons of man to rule the Galaxy.

His job now was to oversee the testing of the brand new phase drive technology developed in conjunction with the Normandy legends Tali ‘Zorah and Garrus Vakarian. Working with the aliens had been utter hell for the past three months but their work was undeniably incredible. The idea had been simple. Miniaturise the mass relay to fit onto the limited space of a frigate, allowing the ship instantaneous access to any mass relay in the galaxy from practically anywhere by using the relays as anchor points and literally pulling the ship through reality to arrive instantly at them. limited of course by the sheer amount of power each jump required.

Research on the mass relays for two years had provided the backbone for this project. Within three months, the wonder pair had ironed out most of the kinks and produced a working prototype. Now the immense power of this technology was about to disappear. Only one person in the galaxy was allowed to use it. And his name was Deacon. The time of the _Normandy_ was over. The age of _Reckoning_ had begun.

“Charge main flux capacitor banks 2% power. We’re only doing a test run. Just enough to get us from here to the Charon relay.” Zoil shouted commands to the gold masked henchmen crowding the control stations.

A low hum began deep within the ship, gradually rising in pitch and volume until a blue glow enveloped the entirety of the ship.

“Prepare to discharge on my mark.” A voice boomed throughout the ship.

A tense hush descended over the entire bridge. The image of Bishop materialised on the main holographic terminal. “Three…Two…One… Mark. Godspeed Director Zoil.” Bishop dissolved into static as the ship punched through the fabric of the universe.

Seconds later, the ship crashed back into reality a mere kilometre away from the relay in a brilliant shower of blue and gold. Plasma vents dumping waste heat into the void of space.

Inside the ship, collision alarms sounded, bathing the inside of the Reckoning in red emergency lighting.

“Fuck me, we can hardly call that a ‘phase’ now can we? I think shock drive is a better name.” Zoil complained as he clutched at his chest. “Scared the goddam crap out of me.”

Fumbling around on the control panel, he activated the ship-wide Comm. Clearing his throat, he spoke into the mic. “Congratulations gentlemen. We have successfully done what no man had done before. We have jumped through space and time instantaneously, emerging less than a kilometre away from the mass relay. Close enough to activate it and travel again. Engineering, run diagnostics now. I expect a report by 0600.”

Clicking off the mic, Zoil turned to the commsman. “Send word to Bishop. His chariot awaits.”

Just as Zoil turned to exit the bridge, the commsman shouted.

“Director! Bishop is waiting for you in the QEC. It's urgent sir.”

“I'm on my way.”

** The Reckoning-QEC **

** Zoil POV **

_A direct communication from Bishop? This could only mean two things._ A cold chill ran down my spine as I approached the console. _Either I'm getting promoted_ or _my head is going to roll._

I squared my shoulders as I pressed the button to open the channel.

“Director Zoil. I trust the technology is working well. The counsel requires your report. Lord is getting impatient. So is Baroness. But I agree with Duke. It is time to reward you for your efforts. Henceforth, you will be known as Rook. You have given us the technology to travel straight through the stars, to strike true and swiftly, without compromise. You have done well, and so you shall be rewarded. Bishop out.”

Bishop derezzed in a flurry of simulated snowflakes.

Exiting the QEC, Zoil was greeted by two guards. They knelt with one knee touching the ground as they pounded their left breast in salute.

“We await instruction Rook.”

** 0900 HRS GST the next day **

** Tali’s quarters aboard the Rayya **

** Tali POV **

_Hot, sweaty and did I mention_ Hot? I silently licked my lips as I watched Garrus work. His strong arms flexing and rippling as he assembled the containment shield for the prototype phase drive core mk II. He had removed his shirt, joking as he did so.

“Purely for your viewing pleasure.” He had proudly rumbled to me, turning my insides to jelly.

_Damn him. Damn it all._

I shifted around in my suit. Trying to find an angle that could offer any modicum of relief for the burning heat of the inferno started in my core.

The fingers tapping on the desk slowly inched downwards.

_Maybe if I do it quick and quiet, he won't notice._

I opened up my omnitool and qued up my nerve stim pro. Bringing the glowing orange contacts lower, I pressed my fingers against the unyielding fabric over my wetness.

_Oh that's the spot. Right… there!_

I came within a few minutes. My pussy painfully clenching around nothing. I bit my lip to stifle a moan as my hand slammed on the desk to support myself as my legs had turned into wet cardboard.

I closed my eyes as I basked in the afterglow. Small aftershocks still rippled through my body. _That was good but not satisfying._ I thought to myself as I opened my eyes.

Coming face to face with two piercing blue eyes.

I fell over with a scream.

“Shit. Tali you okay?” _He_ said as he picked me up effortlessly.

“Huh? Yeah, Garrus I'm fine.” I quickly replied, my voice slightly too high pitched than normal.

“You sure? This is the fourth time this week I have caught you falling asleep while standing. You should get some rest. I can handle the rest.”

I turned as red as a tomato. For once, I was thankful for my mask and my boyfriend's completely oblivious nature. At least he couldn't see my face. _Because I hadn't been falling asleep. I was simply reeling from a powerful orgasm._

But he didn't need to know that.

Muttering a quick “thanks” and “see you later”, I bounded out of the makeshift lab and into the safety of my personal clean room.

Ripping off the sections of my suit, I painted in relief as the wet, sticky undersuit peeled away from my sensitive skin. Reaching inside of myself, I removed the artificial gland. _The treatment seemed to be failing._

Each time I had to up the dosage until now I was taking almost double the recommended dosage. Each time I felt myself more and more attracted to Garrus. My insides burned and my mind got stuck on a repeating loop of ‘claim, fuck, breed.’

Doing everything I could not to think of the half-naked Turian in the self-contained lab module directly across from me turned out not to be enough.

Two taps rattled on the privacy glass of my clean room. Flicking my fingers through the controls, I un-polarised the small viewing slit in the door.

“Hey Tali, where did you put the hydrospanic calibrator?”

Chuckling as I stepped backwards, I folded my arms over my bare chest. “They're next to the Quarnax batteries right under the cam shafts.”

Garrus’ brow plates rose high as he realised I was naked.

Quickly averting his gaze, he scratched awkwardly at the back of his neck as his throat turned blue.

_Was he blushing? Wow. I've never seen a Turian blush before._

“Oh I didn't realise. Sorry. I should go.” He stammered out as he spun about and started back towards the lab.

_Thank the ancestors he couldn't see my legs._

I had been rubbing my thighs together during the entire exchange. My entrance slick with arousal and frustratingly producing none of the delicious friction that I so desperately needed.

_Fuck it. Could it get any worse?_

The door of my clean room opened with a hiss as I grabbed his carapace and yanked him through the door, spinning him around as I did so. My naked breasts pressed against his bare plates. The rough texture of his skin painfully pleasurable on my erect nipples.

“What the hell?” He squawked

“Garrus just shut up and fuck me. Please.”

Roughly pushing me away, his voice raised in anger and panic. Luckily the containment door had closed so my room was sound proof.

“NO! Tali we cannot. It will only make you worse. I promised to find a solution but this isn't it!”

“Fuck you Garrus. The treatment doesn't work! Okay? This. This doesn't work.” I showed him the small silver rod that had been inside me for the last few months, steadily releasing chemicals into my womb.

“I'm sorry Tali. We can't.” Pushing my hand off his shoulder, he turned around to leave. Reaching my wits end, I decided to take drastic measures.

It was quick and relatively painless. A tiny concussion blast to the back of his head and he went down like a sack of potatoes. Industrial grade duct tape held him in place while I removed the rest of his clothes.

Coming face to face with his _organ_ was something I had only ever dreamed about. But now, I could see it. Thick dark folds of skin covered in small nodules of hard bone. His hood protruded out slightly. To be honest, it looked very similar to what Liara had between her legs except that the colour and texture was all wrong. I knew that Turians evolved that way to protect the sensitive appendage from radiation on Palaven. I leaned forward and sucked in his musk. _Virile male. Breed him._ My body screamed. Testing the waters with a tentative lick of his hood, I was amazed to see the deep blue tip of his cock start to emerge from his sheath.

Teasing his opening with my tongue, his full length was soon unveiled to me. Ridged and bright blue, my mouth ran dry as I imagined his cock pounding deep into me.

At full length, he was nearly as Long as my forearm. A small bulge towards the base of his penis caught my eye.

His hips suddenly shifted. “What the fuck Tali?!”

“Shhhhh. Be quiet. I have a theory and you are going to help me test it.”

“Tali stop this. Now. We can't. Untie me! This is extremely dangeroouugh.” His face scrunched up in pleasure as I wrapped my lips around his thick shaft. Drawing him deeper into my mouth, I began to give him what Shepard had called a ‘blowjob’

I relished in his taste. Heavy, metallic and sweet all at the same time. While most would recoil at the strange mix of flavours, I loved it. I could taste everything fully. I could taste _Garrus._

Eager to get as much of his lovely taste out of him, I sucked harder. His moans and grunts grew louder until, with a terrific crash, the panels that I had secured him to flew off the wall. Released from his bonds, he grabbed my hair and began to thrust savagely into my mouth.

I'm between mouthfuls of cock, I screamed. “Yes! Take me like a Turian!”

Fully hilting inside my mouth, I momentarily choked as his dick rammed all the way down my throat. Reaching up to my neck, I could feel the bulge of his cock through my skin. Normally I wouldn't have liked to be put in such a demeaning position, _but_ it _was_ Garrus and he was my mate. This meant that the first condition of claim was met. Wetness gushed between my legs. My body was already pushing me towards stage 2. _Mate_.

Warm seed poured down my throat. I pulled back just enough that he would be emptying into my mouth and not straight down my throat. Swirling his essence around my mouth as he pulled out and collapsed on the floor panting, I stared him straight in The Eye as I swallowed. His predatory eyes following the gulp of seed as it went down my throat.

“Thank you Garrus. But that was only phase one of my research. We still have phase two.” I smiled innocently, cum still staining my lips.

The thing about Turian males was that they could orgasm multiple times. This was to ensure that their mate would take, due to the low fertility rate of their species.

A trait that I was infinitely grateful for. It made _research_ considerably easier as I didn't have to wait very long to  extract another sample.

“I've never had anyone do _that_ before. Too many teeth.” He calmly said to me. Cutting off the duct tape with his talons.

“And I've never done anything with anyone before. I'm a Virgin Garrus. You're my first.”

Momentarily stunned, his mandibles snapped together a few times before he stood up and resolutely told me. “Then I'll make it memorable.”

Offering me his hand, I took it and he pulled me up like a gentleman. Pressing his brow to mine, I pressed my lips to his in return.

“Now I know why some Turian like Asari. Lips are amazing.” He trilled. I blushed darkly at that.

“Are you ready Tali? This usually hurts for women of any species.”

“I'm ready Garrus.” Of course I was. I was so wet the Normandy could have slid into me and I wouldn't have known.

I looked down to see his blue shaft disappear into my purple flesh. Throwing my head back as his ridges went slowly, one by one over my nerve clusters. Causing me to jolt each time one passed. At last he stopped. Buried to the plates in me. I felt full. Pleasantly full. His cock brushed against my cervix and I saw stars.

“Yes!” I cried as I came. Rippling and convulsing around him.

When my sight finally stopped swimming and I had regained some measure of consciousness, I realised that his brow plates were squeezed together in concentration. Just like they always did just before a shot. A mark of his full concentration.

“Beautiful. Simply beautiful.”

I blushed and looked away. Quite ironic because the Turian responsible for that was currently plates deep in me.

He began to move. My chants of ancestors and Garrus must have reached the skies of Rannoch as we made love. Sometimes fast and brutal, sometimes slow and filled with kisses.

He had cum inside me a few times but they were never more than one or two squirts. Suddenly, I felt a huge flat bulge press against my nether lips. Looking down, I saw the base of his blue cock grow tremendously. Frightened at the size, I panicked. “How is that supposed to fit inside me!”

“You did ask to be bred like a Turian. So that means that you will take me. _All_ of me. His blue eyes turned hard and cold as his predatory instincts took over. I found myself drifting as my own instincts took over. I found myself floating through sensations. I was vaguely aware of two smudges of Colour moving rapidly against each other. I was acutely aware of the extreme pleasure of being knotted. His knot pressed against every nerve cluster inside me, thus my out of body experience as my conscious mind shut down due to the overwhelming pleasure. Finally, I felt his pace slow and our consciousness returned.

“I love you Tali.” He whispered as he exploded inside me, his teeth sinking into my neck. The sharp pain of his fangs piercing my skin quickly faded to a warm heat as his saliva seeped into my bloodstream.

Thick ropes of semen splattered my walls. Soon I was filled to the brim and he still wouldn't stop. My womb began to expand before my eyes. A small bulge appeared at my belly. His knot locking in every drop of precious cum. I looked _pregnant._

_If I was Turian, I would definitely be pregnant by now._

Still tied together, we rolled into a more comfortable position on the white floor of my clean room. The whirr of the air purifier the only sound in the silence.

“Thank you Garrus.”

I pressed a kiss to his lips as I felt his cum slosh within me. I felt so full, so fulfilled. My fever at last abated, the ever present pressure was completely gone. I was made whole again.

“So… you won't have any side effects? I mean, we did share large amounts of bodily fluids. A-and I did claim you.”

“Y-you claimed me?”

“Yeah, the whole biting and knotting thing. Very Turian behaviour.”

“Garrus.”

“Yes?”

“I love you too Saera.” I leaned into his neck and gently bit down. His blue blood soaked my lips. “I claim you too Garrus. Let us be one in body and blood.” I recited to him in Turian.

His mandibles fluttered in surprise. “When did you learn that?”

Giving him a smile as I rotated on his knot to face him. “That's for me to know and you to find out.”

Shifting his hips, I groaned as his shaft hardened again and rubbed my insides.

“I can be quite convincing.” He said as he lowered me to the floor and began to make love to me again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? A Cerberus knockoff? Can't this author think of anything more creative? Hush my child. All will be revealed in due time.


	17. It's game night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to vyrenrolar for allowing me to use their work. Check out the original piece at https://archiveofourown.org/works/8123902  
> I slightly edited it but all credit goes to them.
> 
> If this chapter gets confusing, don't worry. It's meant to be that way. All will be revealed my children. All will be revealed in time.
> 
> Thanks for reading and a warm welcome to any new readers.

** Chapter 17 **

** 0930 HRS GST- Unknown Sector in the Milky Way **

** Bridge of the Exodus **

** 1 Month later **

“Rook has successfully adapted the shock drive to our dreadnaught. We are at optimum strength to begin our attack.” The holographic chess piece representing Lord shook with barely contained fury.

“Patience, Lord. Your vengeance will come. Might I suggest we wait for my agent to complete her mission before we make any brash moves?” Duke calmly replied.

“I concur. The situation on earth is still highly volatile. With the aliens still on earth, only chaos will ensue if we strike now. I advise against Lord.” Baroness stated.

“I disagree. With the Alliance weakened and the aliens all focused on rebuilding the relays, now is the perfect time to strike! The vermin won’t know what hit them! We will take every one of their heads and mount them to our hulls!” Knight cackled. Her deranged voice echoed through the chamber.

“Enough.” The conference table went silent, Bishop continued. “Deacon is pleased with the progress but he has decreed that we are to wait. No action is taken until the seed is terminated. Only then can we attack. Deacon has spoken!”

Echoes of “And we will follow, praise be to him.” Resounded around the table as the holographic members of the council members derezzed.

“Prepare the Reckoning, I must attend a function.” The hooded figure said to his guard as he exited the QEC.

  **Earth- High orbit**

Intergalactic commerce had been restarted. The first shipments of food and supplies from the other homeworlds had landed this morning. Cheers and celebrations were going on all over earth and on the Citadel. Much of the massive station had been repaired. Living space was sorely needed. Thus, the first sections of the station to be restored was the habitation sections. New relays were coming online every day. Thanks to the immense number of reactivated and newly constructed Geth. The Rachni had also helped. Their numerous colonies across the galaxy had finally reconnected and were helping all they could to boost the range of the remaining comm buoys and QECs. Families all across the galaxy laughed and cried as news of their loved ones came in after two years. The Turian fleet was now amassing above earth to be the first ones through the restored relay.

Primarch Victus paced the bridge of his newly restored flagship.

“Brothers and sisters. We have fought long and hard. Each of us have lost something. Many of us, loved ones. Others, brothers, sisters in arms. But we are victorious! Let it be know that the Turian fleet faced off against the greatest enemy we have ever known and won! We. Are. Still. Standing. As Primarch, I am proud to hold this honour. My brothers and sisters, we're going home!”

Cheers erupted through the fleet. Turians hugged and leapt for joy. Shrill calls and whistles filled the air. The thrum of sub-harmonics reverberating through deck and hull.

Gradually, the noise ebbed and the hologram of Shepard stood over every terminal.

“My brothers and sisters in arms, each and every one of you have fought. All of you know the great cost of war. As you return to your home worlds and begin rebuilding your lives, I urge you to remember. Remember that none of us could have done this alone. We worked together. An entire galaxy united. Do not let this peace fail. Too much blood has already been spilled. I say this not as a commander, or as an alliance officer, I say this as one of the trillions of individuals living in this galaxy. Make no mistake, the road ahead is fraught with danger and unknowns.”

Liara steps into the hologram. Her heavily pregnant belly obvious to all. Shepard looks to Liara with obvious love in her eyes, their fingers intertwining.

Shepard continues. “But together, we can build a better future. A future where we stand together, not as Asari, Human, Turian or even Krogan. We will build a future where we are _we._ I wish you a safe journey and a bright future ahead. Shepard out.” Her hologram derezzed to the cheers and shouts of all peoples across the galaxy.

 

** Shepard's apartment- later that day. **

** No POV. **

_“Initiate house party protocol.”_ Duke’s instruction echoed in Faith’s mind. She had locked herself in the bathroom. Her target had welcomed her with open arms when Sam had introduced her. Shepard had stood off to the side with a happy smile. Dressed in a casual N7 hoodie and yoga pants, her happiness only served to increase Faith’s reluctance to drop her ring into the Asari’s glass. She stared at the round silver hand in her hand. A ring that would induce a chemical reaction that was fatal to Asari. _The woman has been through so much. She deserves this happiness. It would be cruel to take that away from her._

“Forgive me Celeste.” She whispered to herself as she dropped the ring into the toilet and flushed it.

Opening the door, she bumped into none other than Samantha. Her hand raised in prime position to pummel the door.

“Oh Faith. I was just gonna say you were taking kinda long.”

“I was just… I-I love you Samantha Trainor.”

Sam’s mind went blank. Her thoughts racing at a million miles an hour. _She’s staring at you waiting for an answer. Answer her dammit! Sam I swear to god._

“What?”

_There happy now? One totally coherent reply. Take that brain! Love, heart._

“I. Love. You.” Faith calmly repeated. Pulling Sam in for a tight hug.

“I-uh, I love you too?” Sam said slowly as she offered her arm to Faith. “Let's er- lets go meet the commander yea?” She squeaked, walking arm in arm with a beautiful woman towards the most famous couple in the galaxy.

 

——————————————————————

“And then I said. Damn Garrus you were always ugly. Slap some blue paint over it and no one will notice.” Laughter filled the room as the crew of the Normandy recounted their versions of all the things they had gone through together.

“Well you know Shepard, some women find facal scars attractive... Granted, they are mostly Krogan but I can hardly blame them. After all, who wouldn't want a peace of Archangel, Sentinel of Omega?”

“Aww shut up. I love your scars.” A thoroughly sloshed Tali pressed a sloppy kiss to the side of Garrus’ mandible. His whole, completely unscarred mandible.

“I bet you feel even nicer down there with your rough skin. Amirite Tali?” Shepard poked fun the the clearly drunk girl.

“Yaaaaaaas. It feels *hic* _great._ ” Tali said before promptly passing out. Her head slamming heavily into Garrus’ plated shoulder.

“So you and sparks finally got some of that _intense calibrations_ huh? Dios mio. Took you long enough scars.” James clapped Garrus roughly on his unoccupied shoulder causing Tali to bump her head and whine pitifully.

Garrus ran his hands through her jet black hair in a soothing motion, chuckling at the soldier’s remark. “Yeah we did.”

“I want to know how it feels.” Shepard suddenly blurted out. Her face suddenly red.

Shocked cries resounded around the table.

“Not like _that_ you idiots. Like maybe I'll just kiss Garrus to see how it feels. And if you feel uncomfortable, I'll kiss Tali too.”

“Hah! Kissing Turians. Never thought I'd see the day those words would leave my mouth.” Ashley burst out. Vodka spraying from her lips as she slammed the table in laughter.

“All right why the hell not? It'l look great on my résumé. Garrus Vakarian, Archangel of Omega and secret lover of Commander Shepard. I can see it all over the tabloids.” He mimes framing up the picture with two talons on each of his hands.

“Pucker up!” She shouts, and then he’s only distantly aware of the fact that she’s getting closer before she launches herself into his lap, her lips hitting his just milliseconds later.

His eyes go wide.

So… This is what kissing a human is like. Nearly identical to a Quarian, except Shepard is clearly far more experienced than Tali.

It’s …weird. But not…bad? But really, really weird. A small voice at the back of his mind nags at him that this is unbecoming. He is not only kissing his commanding officer, he is also kissing another woman while his girlfriend is right next to him.

Her lips are soft. Very soft. Softer than any hide on a female Turian’s body, even Tali’s soft but unbelievably dense skin. Her mouth presses against his, and he feels himself go still.

_Shit. Shit shit shit shit. What do I do?_

His first instinct is to throw her off of him, but he doesn’t.

This is…unexpected.

He presses his mouthplates to hers in a futile attempt to return it.

Shepard gasps a bit – a good but very bad sign, he thinks – but then he feels something wet on his face. It takes his alcohol-fueled mind a few seconds to register that there is a new, wiggling thing attempting to gain entrance to his mouth, and a few more before he realizes that that pink, writhing thing currently lapping his mouthplates is her tongue.

He opens his, lets his long, blue tongue meet hers in a dance he’s a bit more familiar with. Her tongue is odd – flat, stubby, pink, but it’s writhing and bendy and flexible in a way he never imagined. His hands pull her tight to him and his brain short circuits.

_Did I pass out? I must be dreaming. This is just a dream. Just a dream. A really, really sexy dream._

She makes a surprisingly cute groaning noise and her hips move against him clumsily.

Garrus is suddenly very glad that his armor can mask certain…reactions, because his second instinct is to rut her into the damn table.       

Tali awoke to find Shepard not only making out with but dry humping her boyfriend. Rage coursed through her veins until she found Shepard's lips against her own. Pink danced with purple and then with blue.

Sensing mild displeasure and immense longing through the meld, Shepard turned around and captured her one true love in a passionate kiss.

The entire scene took place before the stunned audience of the Normandy crew.

“Fuck this shit I'm out.” Jack stood up, knocking over the table in the process. Spilling every drink that was on it.

“Ya’ll can all go fuck yourselves. No way am I having an orgy with you. I don't know what kind of alien STD’s I'd get from you fucks.”

The four participants abruptly pulled back with quick denials of what they were doing.

Zaeed just laughed and said. “Damn Shepard, I knew you fancied Asari but I'd n’er have pegged you for a goddam xenophile.

“What can I say? I'm adventurous. I'll try anything once. Twice if I like it and I'll stick with it if I love it.” Shepard looped her arm with Liara's as she replied, her kiss bruised lips meeting the cold rim of another shot of ryncol.

“Okaaaay. Too…much…info. Subject change! Who is this lovely lady you have brought Trainor?” James says as Ash snuggles under his arm.

“Oh, this pretty young thang?” Trainor stands up and pulls Faith against her, putting on a southern drawl.

“This here's ma girly friend Faith” Kissing Faith on the cheek as she continues, “sweet Jesus I love that name. This here sweetheart is as sweet as she tastes. Ain't that right hon?”

“Yes I'm the sweetest thing you ever did see-saw.” Faith replies with a Cheshire Cat grin.

“Alright! I love it! Since we're all a little drunk and in the spirit of Wild West.” Cortez pauses and looks around at the slightly amused faces of his closest friends. “Lets head to the Armax arena and play a few rounds. First rounds on me.”

“Sure! I have a unlimited pass anyways. Sounds like fun!” Suddenly remembering her pregnant fiancée, a more than inebriated Shepard turns around and promptly falls on her ass.

Picking herself up, she bangs her head into the table and falls to the floor again in a heap. “Fuuuuck. Shouldn't have taken that sixth shot of ryncol… Liara you can stay-h here if you want to. I'll just go break the scoreboard again.”

Shambling towards the exit, Shepard weakly calls to the rest of the crew to follow as the drunk occupants of the apartment slowly make their way down to the arena.

“I'll try to keep us out for a couple hours. Should be enough time for you to do the thing.” James nodded to the other ladies as the men all walked out the door with Shepard.

Doctor Chakwas quietly injected Liara with a sleeping toxin once the apartment doors had closed. Helping the doctor lay the unconscious Asari down carefully on her bed, Ash signalled to Tali.

The Quarian quickly measured Liara. Her work was quick and efficient. Having flushed the alcohol from her system.

Meanwhile in the living room, Jack and Miranda were using their biotics to quickly assemble the wooden cot. Trainor kept tabs on the commander while also doing up all the decorations needed for the galaxy's most important baby shower. The women of the Normandy had been planning this ever since Liara entered her third trimester.

Everything had to be perfect. From the wedding gown to the softest Kryonthyan bear fur used in the cot’s pillows.

Faith stood stunned at the harmonious chaos taking place in the apartment. Slams and bangs of wood could be heard while the thrum of the clothing fabricator resonated through the air.

Totally lost in the confusion, she was saved by the much needed instructions of her girlfriend.

** Meanwhile at the Armax Arena **

** No POV **

Round after round of holographic Cerberus soldiers had fallen to the combined might of the Normandy squad. Led by commander Shepard, they showed their incredible skill and prowess in battle to the amazed crowds.

“Show us how you fought the reapers!” The crowd shouted once the final round was complete. Their cheers soon turned into a chant of “Reapers! Reapers! Reapers!”

“We're pretty tired…” Garrus began, the rest of the guys followed his lead and made up all manner of excuses not to take part in the next round. They had all fought too many of the things. But the unspoken agreement between them was that they would keep Shepard as far away from the reapers as possible. They were all that stood between Shepard and the potential of another full mental breakdown. Shepard may not show it, but they knew that she was suffering from severe PTSD. Liara had been telling them of all the nights that Shepard had woken up screaming and sweating. The only effective way was to calm her through a meld. Since Liara was back at the apartment, their job was to take care of Shepard.

“Sure why not? If you guys are too tired, I'll do it myself. Show them the Shepard special. How ‘bout that? You wanna see the Shepard special?” The crowd went wild.

“See Garrus? They love me. Now get your lazy butts off my arena. I'm gonna show you how it's done.”

The men grumbled and left the arena, disappearing beneath the foundation in the lift. Garrus tapped Shepard twice on the shoulder. The red head grinned.

“There's no Shepard without Vakarian.” They said in unision.

Immediately, a soft ringing started in Shepard's ear. She ignored it and focused her attention on the shrill shrieks filling the arena.

_Cue the music… and insert super badass kill montage._

Shepard grin widened into a full blown maniacal laugh as she slaughtered wave after wave of reaper troops.

The waves of troops grew longer and more complex. It also didn’t help that the arena was constantly shifting. Shepard was only faintly aware that she had been killing actual reapers on the same streets just two years ago. She had maxed out the scoreboard long ago to the great surprise and delight of the crowds. Her favourite combo of pulling multiple reapers into a tight ball then charging forward and detonating the collected energy in a brilliant firework of blue energy was what she affectionally dubbed the Shepard special. While waiting for her biotics to cool off, she would switch to her rifle and pick off far targets. She revelled in the cheers of the crowd as she blasted apart face after face of reaper troops with her shotgun.

“Nothing says fuck you more than a shotgun to the face.” Shepard shouted excitedly as she eviscerated another poor husk.

“Damn right,” Garrus sniped a marauder that had almost run Shepard through. “Though, could you keep your eyes on the enemy and not on me?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Shepard received an anarchic human gesture involving one finger. Her laugh turned to a scream as a brute suddenly materialised behind Garrus. Her warning shout was too late as the brute’s massive claw crushed the unaware Turian.

Her hearing cracked.

Pain lanced through every fibre of her being. Visions of blue blood seeping from under the massive claw swam into the calming shape of a blue bosom. The steel grey of the brute blended into the bulkheads on the Normandy.

Shepard fell to her knees. Faint calls for her echoed as everything went black.

 _Psychotic break-PTSD._ She remembers hearing that before she slips into darkness again.

_Shepard is in pain. She is lying under concrete and steel, miles beneath the sky, waiting for it to start again. The visions, the pain, the loss._

_She knows she doesn’t have much time left in this life, now that she’s come to, and all she can do is wait. She uses the time she has left to remember, to think back on all the lives she’s lived._

_She settled on saving Ash pretty early on in the process. She loved him in a way she never quite loved Kaiden, even when she went through it all as a man. Lord, but it had been weird the first time she woke up with stubble. With a deeper voice, with shoulders so wide she got shot more than once for not being covered enough in a fight. She got used to it, though. She got used to it all, after a while._

_The first few times, she had played nice. Been decent to the Council, respectful, even. She went out of her way to help everyone she could, even putting the hunt for Saren on hold so she could help the civilian of the day. But after three or four times of hearing those bureaucratic assholes put her down like so much pyjak shit, she had had enough. She started lashing out, just a little at first, just enough to let some of the frustration steam off her skin._

_Her skin fascinated her. Her own skin...she could barely remember what it had looked like when she started this mess. Could barely remember what _she_  had looked like...Sometimes, she’d wake up and it would be alabaster pale, too easily burned in the sun of whatever planet she and her team landed on. Sometimes it would be darker, as though she had a constant tan. Sometimes it would be ebony black, like the spaces between the stars. It stopped mattering, after a while. Her eyes, though...She stopped looking at mirrors after the first few times._

_It didn’t help that she kept remembering things differently. Not just the saving the universe parts, but the other things. The things she didn’t get to relive. Sometimes she’d forget her little sister’s name, because she’d never had a little sister, right? She remembered growing up on Earth, growing up on a colony world, growing up a spacer. She thought that was how it started. With her being a good little Navy brat, growing up to be just like Mom. But now there were dozens of parents, hundreds of lives she had lived before getting to Eden Prime, before watching her life go to hell._

_She supposed hell was the wrong word. Maybe it was some sick kind of purgatory. Maybe she had messed up so badly somewhere along the way that the universe decided to stick her in this mess, living through it all over and over and over again. Through Eden Prime, through Virmire, through Cerberus._

_After about the tenth time, she had started taking stupid risks. She knew she wouldn’t die before the end, so why not _live_  a little. Not that it was really living, she’d think after yet another one night stand with a nameless soldier. She ran herself ragged, even let everyone die a couple of times. She just wanted to  _feel_  something. Anything, really. Anything that would change it, give her some sort of variety._

_It wasn’t that she didn’t feel at all. Sometimes she felt more than she thought her heart could hold. She’d managed to fall in love with every single member of her team at least once. Sometimes they would even fall in love back._

_She started recruiting James earlier. She’d tell the Illusive Man she wanted him for her team, and he’d nod like he knew something she didn’t. She’d stopped paying attention when he talked after sometime around number six. It wasn’t like he ever changed his tune. But she’d get James, or at least meet him, and eventually, sometimes, it would happen. She had to be careful, though, because Kaidan almost never understood the idea of being in love with more than one person. The times he did, though...Those were good rides._

_Sometimes she’d send Kaidan out instead of Jenkins, and she’d go through the whole thing with the young Marine by her side. He was one of the only ones who didn’t abandon her when she spent her time with Cerberus. He loved her, worshipped her, and it was nice. He always tasted bittersweet, though. She could never figure out how to save everyone._

_She thought, after a while, that maybe that’s what was wrong. Maybe, if she managed to keep everyone alive, she’d be allowed to move forward. Whenever she tried, though, she always ended up dying herself, and restarting before she got to the end. It always left an uneasy feeling in her gut. So she let that theory go. Maybe she’d go back to it after another twenty years of this. Maybe not._

_She felt stronger, sometimes, in the beginning. Like her body remembered what her mind did, for once. Sometimes they would get stronger too, the geth and the collectors and the reapers. It always broke her, a little bit, when she had to start killing geth again. It was always so soon after losing Legion, and even on her numb days that didn’t stop hurting. She hated losing friends._

_Losing EDI, though...god did that hurt. But those times she had made it a point to ask Tali or Joker to make a copy of the AI’s code, just in case something happened to the ship made it just bearable. They never quite understood, but they always did as requested. She loved Tali, and she loved Garrus. She loved seeing them in each other’s arms when they didn’t end up in hers._

_She’d gotten better at keeping it a secret. Her voice no longer caught in her throat the first time she met Garrus, feeling a kinship he would not know for three more years. She stopped calling Tali “vas Normandy” before she earned the name, and she stopped touching Ash before she invited her to do so._

_Sometimes, she refused to let anyone in. She’d use those times for the more self-destructive habits she’d picked up over the decades, knowing no one would be close enough to stop her. She’d choose Control, then, or Synthesis. It never mattered. Always, it would end. Always, a few hours after she left the Citadel, however she left it, she’d find herself back on the bridge of the SR-1, summoned by Captain Anderson to be briefed about a mission she’d already completed. She was never that cruel to Chakwas, though. Always did have that drink with her. A couple of times, she got drunk enough to tell the doctor what was happening to her. Chakwas would listen, she would always listen, and she’d squeeze Shepard’s arm and tell her it was time to go to bed._

_She tried not to tell people, otherwise. She’d done it a few times, in the beginning. Anderson, Kaidan, Joker...It never seemed to stick in their heads, though. It was almost like the universe wouldn’t _let_  them know._

_The universe. She’d tried a few dozen religions, over the years, searching for something to change the end, to get her past those moments in the rubble. She’d spent hours listening to the Hanar, days questioning Garrus about spirits and the nature of faith. She had no idea why this happened to her, why she kept living and dying and living the same few years over and over again. She’d asked Vigil a few times, as well as the AI on the Citadel. Hell, she’d even asked Legion, once, hoping that maybe the combined computing power of an entire species could help her sort it out. Nothing ever clicked, though, no explanation ever seemed right. She’d settled, after about fifty years, on blaming the universe as a whole. She’d stopped looking for explanations a long time ago._

_She lies in the rubble, waiting for the familiar jolt in her navel. She tries not to move, knowing that it would only make her internal bleeding worse. She still cared about that, sometimes. She waits, silent, for the journey to begin again, just as it always does. That’s one thing she’s come to depend on, after everything. No matter what she does, which road she takes, what decisions she makes, she always gets to do it all again._

_She thinks back, over this life. She’d done well, she thinks, been happy, even. She’s managed to have healthy, stable relationships with Kaidan, James, Liara, and Joker. Joker had still fallen for EDI, and Kaidan had fallen in love with Steve. He had asked her a few days ago if he could propose to the other man. She had grinned and kissed him and said, “Of course, love. Of course.” She had gotten close to Tali, to Garrus, to Wrex and Grunt. She wouldn’t quite call those relationships romantic, this time around, but they had been wonderful all the same._

_She and Jack had become, if not the best of friends, then the most trusted, this time around. God, she’d had so many friends this time. Miranda, Jacob, Samara, Thane...Not to mention her crew. She had talked to all of them this time, had taken any opportunity available to get them to talk about their lives. She learned about their goals, their fears, and their favorite foods. She had watched her engineer fall in love with Tali, had encouraged him to talk to her about his feelings. She had married them a couple of weeks ago, just days after performing the same ceremony for Tali and Garrus. The Quarian was overjoyed to have not one, but two husbands. No matter how many times Shepard lived, she would never get tired of Tali’s infectious laughter._

_It’s not that she hasn’t lost people this time; she has. It was war, after all, and people died. She’d accepted that long ago. But she’s done her best, she thinks, and she’s been happy. She’s happier than she’s been since she started this whole mess. At peace._

_She smiles to herself, hums a lullaby that Liara had taught her a few lives back. She is happy, in this moment, dozens of years after she started this journey. She sighs contentedly, paying no heed to the pain in her side. She thinks that if this is all she gets, maybe it’s enough. Maybe it’s enough to save the galaxy again and again, fighting side by side with the people you love. She closes her eyes and waits for it to begin again._

_Liara’s voice cuts through her serenity. “Kaidan! James! I’ve found her!” Shepard gasps as the weight of concrete and steel disappears. She looks at Liara, confused, then at the approaching marines. Liara pulls the commander into an embrace and the pain and the blood do not matter because _this has never happened before_._

_James kneels down and opens medigel packs onto all her visible wounds. Kaidan sits next to him and takes her hand in his, kisses her palm. They all marvel at her conscious state, tell her she’s never allowed to save the galaxy again, tell her how much they love her._

_She sits up after her bones have stitched themselves back into place. She looks to her lovers, mouth open, unable to ask the question in her throat. Liara cups her face and kisses her gently. “It’s all right, Shepard. I know. I saw everything, when we joined back at the base. The lives you’ve lead, the sacrifices you’ve made. I saw it all, and…”_

_And she told us,” Kaidan chimes in. “God, what you’ve been living through, it’s insane. But she told us, and we knew, ah, that is…” Kaidan trails off, choked with emotion._

_James speaks, now. “We knew that if you destroyed the Reapers, you’d survive. So we landed, and we prayed, and when the Citadel came down…”_

_"We started looking. Joker and Steve did flyovers in a couple of shuttles, and we’ve had hundreds of people combing through rubble.” Liara presses her forehead to Shepard’s._

_Kaidan moves closer and kisses her cheek. “We thought that maybe, if we found you, you wouldn’t have to do it again. You wouldn’t have to be alone again.”_

_Shepard laughs. She laughs, and she cries, and James has to open more medigel. She kisses them all, over and over, and she laughs until she can hardly breathe. She’s done it. After all these years, all these lives, she finally gets to find out what happens next. She stands, and pulls them up with her, and starts walking towards a nearby shuttle, hoping it’s the one with Joker on it._

Shepard awakes.

The grimy peeling ceiling of a hospital room comes into focus. She tries to sit up. Her legs don’t obey her commands. Grunting with the effort, she pushes herself upright to find herself naked and lying on an operating table.

_What the fuck is going on? Is this when…_

Her thought is completed by Miranda’s voice.

“Wake up Shepard.”


	18. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG im soo sorry gais. I've just been crazy busy with work. I just managed to steal some time away to write this. I'll try my best to keep the updates as constant as possible. I've got all my ideas stored up already. Just need time to actually get them on paper. Ok maybe not paper but like virtual paper... Ok never mind you get what I mean. Oh and if any of you wonderful people have any whacky ideas, just fling them in the comment section and I'll see if I can weave it into the story.
> 
> Thanks so much for sticking with me. I know I haven't updated in a month and all but I really appreciate it. As always, hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a like and comment so I can keep improving my content!

** Chapter 18 **

** Directly continued from chapter 17 **

** Shepard POV **

_No. No! Nonononononono. This can’t be happening. I know this isn’t real. This isn’t real!_

_I’ve done this before. I killed the reapers. Why am I in Cerberus?_

I look around the room. I see my dog tags hanging from a hook next to a green hospital gown. I notice that they’re swinging, jingling slightly. As if they’re being pushed by the wind.

“We are under attack. I need you to grab that pistol and meet me in my office.” Miranda says over the intercom. An explosion echoes in the distance.

Gunshots crackle through the air. They get closer with every passing second. Pulling the pistol towards me with my biotics, I check the serial number. _JEA217019RP exactly the same as the one I used when I escaped. But it’s the wrong model._ The pistol is a Cerberus standard issue, not a Carnifex. _This is wrong. This is_ WRONG!

I press the pistol to my chin and pull the trigger.

I awake.

The grimy peeling ceiling of a hospital room comes into focus.

 

_Shit._

I lie still, still expecting Miranda’s voice to come through the intercom any second.

“Finally. I was worried we had lost you for good. Please, sit up and look around.” A male voice comes through the intercom.

I sit up and look around the room. The walls shift before my eyes, turning from white hospital walls to smooth grey composite.

My hospital gown morphs into a pair of shorts and a sports bra.

I look at the wall hook. My dog tags are there, still swinging.

“Ah yes, your dog tags. That is just a visual cue that this is a simulation. I’m sorry for twisting the memories of your resurrection. It was the only stimuli that induced a reaction from you.”

“So all those…”

“Yes. The ‘lives’ you lead were all a dream. We meant it to give you something to fight for to keep you well…alive. You have been in an induced coma for two weeks. We had to keep your consciousness rooted while we fixed your body.” He shines a light into my eyes to test them.

“Am I alright Doc?”

“You were critically injured but we managed to patch you up. Your right arm was replaced with a prosthetic and your fractured spine was completely replaced with a neural interlace to allow you to walk. This was naturally impossible to do in a regular hospital due to the the intergalactic convention. But you are with us now. And we have no problem helping every human be the best they can be. Initially, you were given an Exo-skeleton but it was deemed to cumbersome for combat. Thus, you now have an artificial Endo-skeleton in your lower body, but don’t worry. Everything will be all right now. I am going to begin the waking procedure. Just relax… this experience may be a little disorientating. Just focus on my voice and relax.”

The world stretched and warped until it resolved into a flesh colored blob. The blob slowly cleared up into the face of a slightly pudgy man.

“That’s it Shepard, ease out of it. Come back to me. Come back to me. That’s it… now remember. Compliance will be rewarded.”

_Compliance will be rewarded, and I will comply._

I see myself accepting the doctor’s help in leaving the infirmary.

_Wait. Why am I seeing myself? What? I…I will comply._

_I_ will _comply._

** Huerta memorial hospital **

** No POV **

“Where is my wife?” Liara angrily shouts at the clerk. For the past two weeks since Shepard collapsed in the arena, Liara had been coming every day with Garrus to visit her. Garrus felt horrible after the battle because he felt that it was his mistake that had triggered Shepard’s PTSD when he was ‘killed’ by the brute. And now, Shepard was missing.

What made matters worse was that a human anti-alien cult calling themselves the Sons of Man had revealed themselves this morning by bombing a cultural center. Luckily, no lives were lost, but many were injured. The media was already up in arms about the incident. Opinions spread like wildfire. As usual, everyone looked to Shepard for guidance, but the woman was nowhere to be found.

“She was moved off-world this morning. A Dr. Jilus requested she be moved. The request was granted by Dr. Zoil."

“I don’t care who allowed who to move her. Where is she?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Garrus growls, his talons digging into the counter.

“The records are blank.” The clerk says. Liara slams a hand on the counter.

“Do you know what this means Garrus?”

“Yep, Cerbrus 2.0 have Shepard.” The Turian taps away at his omnitool, sending emergency warnings to every member of the crew.

“Let’s go find my wife.” Liara says as the pair leave the hospital.

 

_Please be alive._

** The Exodus **

** Shepard POV **

I ignore the hungry eyes of the men lining the corridor. Some of them hide behind their golden masks but the unmistakable gleam in their eyes is obvious behind the semi un-polarized glass of their visors.

I know who these men are. They are human extremists, people turned corrupt by Cerberus ideology. And yet, I cannot help myself from obeying the orders of the scientist in front of me, leading me deeper into wherever we are. I follow him like an obedient dog. My attention focused solely on him and not of the men undressing me with their eyes. I find this wrong and yet so _right._ I belong to them, I am assured. My compliance will be rewarded.

_My compliance will be rewarded._

** Earth-The Normandy museum **

** Liara POV **

_Break into the museum. Check._

_Disable security VI. Check._

_Disable security personnel. Ehhhh, almost._

I grunt as I fling a warp field into a group of security guards. I duck down behind a mockup of a shuttle as electro-bolts pepper the metal. I curse in Thessian as a stray bolt catches my shoulder. I simply cannot move fast enough to dodge the bolts because of my pregnancy. I mentally blot out the stinging pain and focus on the problem of getting the Normandy out of the cluttered museum without causing too much damage.

The guards are quickly dispatched with stun shots from my friends. The rest of the Normandy crew, new and old have heeded the call to find the woman that brought them together. _All hands on deck as Shepard would say._

_You may be wondering why we are breaking into a museum. Simple. Shepard donated the Normandy. Her “contribution to history” as if all that she’d done wasn’t enough. She specified that it would be kept as-is. No hardware or software would be removed. Virtual tours had already been recorded but the exhibition was not yet open to the public. The reason why we needed the Normandy instead of any alliance ship was for the simple reason that Shepard’s ID chip had been replaced with a Cerberus implant when she was resurrected. An implant that could only be detected by the Normandy. Thus, the daring heist we are currently in the midst of._

“What is wrong with you? Don’t you recognize us? I’m Tali ‘Zorah! This is our ship! We promise to return it in good shape. We just need to borrow it for a bit!” Tali shouted as she apologized to a guard she just disrupted into a wall while simultaneously trying to hack the clamp controls.

“ _Det Kazuat!_ I can’t hack this. They’re using polyphasic ciphers it’ll take at least a month for me to crack this. We need another solution. What would Shepard do?”

“She’d probably force us all on the Normandy then shoot out the clamps with a rocket launcher.” Chuckled Garrus.

“I’m tired of this.” I gritted my teeth as I channeled what energy I could muster into the biggest biotic lift I had ever cast. Dark energy pulsed from my fingertips as I slowly but surely began to rip the Normandy from its docking clamps.

_Nothing would stand in my way of finding my wife._

_Although, she does make it a habit of suddenly disappearing. Usually for two years at a time._

“Woo-hoo Liara! Yeah!” Whooped James as he finished off the last guard. Grunting with effort, I moved the frigate through the skylight, ignoring the shards of glass falling from the ceiling.

Joker gives me a nod as EDI wraps him in her arms. Activating her jump-pack, EDI expertly maneuvers them to the bridge airlock. Seconds later, the main engines roar to life. I feel the strain on me lifting as the Normandy begins to float on its own power.

“Remind me never to piss you off. That was some next level shit.” Jack says as she moves past me to activate the lift console that would bring us to the roof level.

I grin at the tattooed woman’s remark. _Indeed, I have become stronger. It must be the pregnancy. It probably pushed me into the matron stage._

I look at the welcoming maw of the Normandy’s main cargo hatch. I can’t help but think back to the last time I had seen it, bruised, bloody and covered in dirt as my bondmate roughly pushed me away from her and ran to her death. I take a deep breath as I bury that memory and focus on finding her. Here. Now.

** The Exodus **

** Shepard POV **

“Ms Tara Shepard? Your new armor is in that locker over there, rations can be found in the mess. Report to briefing room 1 by 1400 hours.” A helmeted officer instructed me. I nodded to him and proceeded to my designated locker. My senses flared to high alert as I heard a noise in the row of lockers behind me. I stood still for a few seconds, my hand on the handle of my locker. Ears straining to find any sound. At last I heard it, a boot scraping on the metal floor. Someone trying to sneak up on me. I pretended to not notice the sound as I opened my locker.

The white and gold armor jumped out at me. It’s make was identical to my customised armor during the war. With the exception of it being white and gold instead of black and blue.

_Wait. War… what war?_

There was a scrape right behind me just as my fingers closed around one of the gauntlets to my armor.

Rough hands grabbed my breasts from behind as a gruff voice pushed against my ear. “Looks like they're just handing out the rank now. N7. Couldn't even hear me sneaking up on you.”

I smirked at my reflection in the visor of my helmet as I slammed my head backwards into his face. Hearing the satisfying crack of his nose breaking, I slipped my hand into the gauntlet as I delivered a right haymaker into his eye.

The man screamed as blood pooled in his now useless eye. I put him down with a quick punch to his throat. Shattering his windpipe.

Seeing movement out of the corner of my eye, I quickly dodged the man charging at me. Ducking down and giving a swift kick to the man’s shin, he went head over heels and crumpled into a pile on the floor. More men entered the locker room. I counted six in total.

One was wearing a tank top. Another had a magnificent dumbbell moustache. Random douchebag three had a nice detail haircut. Number four sported a long scar under his right eye. Number five was a handsome blonde guy with high cheekbone. Six was wearing full armor like some pathetic little shit trying to be a big man.

“You are outnumbered Shepard. Six to one. Why don't you lie down, let us show you how a real man feels and you don't have to go home with a ruined face.”

“Six to one? Then it is a fair fight. Stealth never really was my strong suit anyway.”

With a tremendous battle cry, Scar rushed me. I waited for him to come within arms reach and then pivoted out the way. Sending him crashing into the lockers.

Tank top drew a knife and tried to slash at me. Blocking his strikes by hitting his forearms away, I laughed as he began to pant with exertion.

“You know, if you wanted to do any actual damage, you should attack all at once. Not one at a time. It's Super cliché. Don't you guys ever watch any movies?”

This spurred the rest of the guys into action. I blocked blow after blow from the six douchebags. All the while laughing at their incompetency.

“Come on. Six V one! At least make it interesting.” I said as I finally knock the knife from Tank tops hand and proceed to drive the blade into his neck. I flip the knife in my hand as I fling it at Moustache. The knife buries itself to the hilt in the crevice between his eyes.

Angered by the death of his friends, Armor dude screams in outrage as he punches me straight in the jaw.

I see stars for a second before I grin like a madwoman. “That's more like it.”

On the next punch, I catch his wrist and twist his arm. Forcing him to kneel, I dislocate his shoulder with a loud pop and kick his head into the floor. Finishing him off by driving my knee into the segmented armor plates on his back, I wait for the crunch signalling his spine snapping before turning my attention to the next assailant.

Haircut evidently isn't pleased so he brings out his sidearm. I note that it's set to stun. _Now this is more fun. They don’t want to kill me._

I elbow him in the solar plexus and grab for his gun. Rolling over his back, I press the barrel to his chin and pull the trigger. He goes down immediately.

Now it's just me and Cheekbones and I must admit, he's quite handsome. That thought distracts me for a second. An opportunity that Cheekbones uses to his advantage. His hands wrap around my throat as we crash to the floor. My gun clattering out of my hand and under a bench.

“You will be so much easier to fuck when you're dead bitch!” He shouts as he continues to squeeze. My lungs scream for air as he sits in top of me. The edges of my vision start to darken. Instinctively, I wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze as well. However, I concentrate my pressure around the back of his neck. Shooting him a smile, I curl my right fingers forward. My mechanical fingers force his vertebrae forward, snapping his neck with a lovely crunch.

I roll him off me as I lie there, panting, delirious with adrenaline, wide grin on my face and blood splattered across my body. Most of which is not my own.

I drag myself to my feet and retrieve some clothes from my locker. Stepping over the still warm bodies, I head to the women's head.

 

** Meanwhile in the observation room **

The same pudgy man looks away from the screen showing the aftermath of the “live-fire” test in the locker room and turns to the holographic visage of Bishop.

“Shepard is operating within acceptable parameters. The neural re-wiring seems to have worked. She now shows heightened levels of aggression. She also follows my commands without question. Only the positive feedback protocols have yet to be tested. Requesting permission to reinstate and designate tasks.”

“Permission granted. Good work Doctor Richardson. I will report your success to Deacon. Make sure she is ready for the final task.” Bishops hologram blinks out of existence as Richardson turns to the live video feed of the women's head.

 

** Women's bathroom **

** Shepard POV **

I strip quietly. The bruises from the fight already starting to purple. I turn the tap to its hottest setting and step under the spray. My hands tremble slightly from the rush of adrenaline. _I've not had this since I was a recruit in BMT._

I can't get the image of Cheekbone’s neck out of my head. The way his eyes faded in that moment, the way his neck popped into that unnatural angle. The delicious sound of his bones breaking as I ended his life. I saw him above me, pressing into me as he died. I pictured his beautiful death as I began to rub between my legs.

I picture how tank top gasps in shock as his own blade pierces his neck. I see the light fade from Moustache’s eyes as the same knife protrudes from his forehead. I speed up my strokes and start to pant heavily as warmth starts to gather in my loins.

I see Armor on the floor. I hear his shoulder popping out of place, his spine breaking as I crush it below my feet. I hear the sounds, see his death as clear as day and I come.

I come long and hard. I fail to hold back a loud moan as I lean my head against the wall, water still pelting down on me. My legs nearly give out on me. I shudder through the aftershocks and somehow get to the briefing room 20 minutes early. Dressed, fed and ready for my mission. Still wearing a crazed grin on my face from my recent kills.

 

** The Exodus-Briefing room 1 **

** Shepard POV **

“Impressive. Taking on eight men in the locker room. You are certainly befitting of your rank.”

“Psssh. They were hardly a challenge.”

“Indeed. Tell me. What do you remember before you woke up here aboard the exodus?”

“I. I…er after I gained my N7 rank, I was dishonourably discharged from the alliance due to illegal fraternisation with my Girlfriend… after I-I got her killed.” The memory of her bravely shouting through the comm at me to leave wrenches my heart.  _“Commander. The mission comes first. I know that. Just tell them I was a hell of a soldier.”_

Forcing the memory away, I continue. “I joined The Sons and was posted to Hyperion station. We fell under attack by an alien force. I was knocked unconscious in an explosion.”

“That is… correct.” He makes some notes on his datapad then refocuses on me. “You seem to have full control over your faculties. I hereby deem you fit for duty,” the Doctor turns to the smartly uniformed man standing with his back turned to us “commander, you may continue.”

“Excellent. That will be all doctor, you are dismissed.”

“I await instruction.”

“Before we go any further, you are promoted to the rank of elite commander. You are allowed to command one squad of elite troops and have access to any and all weapons and equipment. Your new call sign will be Artemis. Your mission is highly classified and marked extremely dangerous. You will be collaborating with Orion. You are to clear out a gang of highly unsavoury aliens that have taken refuge on this planet.”

A hologram of a barren rocky world appears on the table.

“Your Mission is effective immediately. A shuttle is waiting for you in hanger bay 4. Dismissed.”

 

“Yes sir!” I snap a quick salute before exiting the room to don my armor and ready my weapons.

\---------- 

I walk up to the shuttle, inspecting the newly applied coat of paint on my armor. Replacing the white polycarbonate with glossy black ceramic, I made sure my armor stood out from the rest of the goons. Black and gold, I took my seat within the shuttle as I waited for Orion to make his appearance. Unsheathing my knife, I began to carve my new identity into the smooth surface of my visor. I was distracted from my work when a man dressed in urban camouflage armor dropped heavily into the seat next to me.

“Ah. You must be Artemis. I got a present for you.” He hefts up a long thin case and places it on the handrail between us. Popping the catches, he pulls out a foot long oddly shaped black cylinder. He thumbs a hidden release and the cylinder pops into the instantly recognisable shape of a bow.

“A bow. Seriously?” I arch a brow as I study his face. (Imagine a young Nathan drake from uncharted) He is clearly trying to hold back laughter.

“Hey, if it makes you feel any better, it wasn't my idea. The eggheads down in the labs thought that it would become a symbol. For all of us. The best soldier humanity has to offer fighting side by side with us against the aliens. Seriously though, this bow packs a punch. It uses tungsten ball bearings accelerated via twin mass effect field generators in the limbs. I’m told it can stop a charging Krogan dead in his tracks.

I grin at him as I grab the bow from his hands. The sensors in my gloves automatically connect to the on-board targeting systems. Pressing the button on the side of the grip, I find out that I can change the type of shot. There are 4 settings. Stun, disrupt, armor-piercing and explosive. “Can’t wait to test this bad boy out.” I say as the shuttle doors close and we depart from the Exodus.

\----------

The planet we land on is lush and covered in jungle as far as the eye can see. We move out in standard attack formation. Orion and I at the tip of the spear with two squads on each side of us, ready to flank the enemy at a moment’s notice.

My ears pick up the sound just as Orion orders us to cease all movement. With three quick hand gestures, We receive his next orders.

“ _Hostile ahead. Heavily armored. Flank and eliminate.”_

I share a nod with Orion before I’m sliding down the muddy slope. I roll into cover behind a thick tree trunk just before the Krogan turns towards the sound. I note that he is a juvenile. His thick skull plates are still segmented, unfused. Meaning that he is not yet of mating age, still a child. A 2 metre, 150 kilo child with highly resistant natural body armor.

I activate my bow and take aim. _In…Out. One, two._ The tungsten ball bearing leaves my bow silently. The Krogan slumps over, his head a mess of orange. _Try regenerating from that._

I nod at Orion again and we move on, slaughtering any aliens that got in our way. “We must take the tower.” Orion said as we progressed through the blood soaked town.

Fighting through the communications tower was no easy feat. Our enemies responded quickly to our incursion. Responding in force, we are quickly surrounded.

“Lay down your weapons and surrender. You have nowhere to go.” The leader of this band of filth is clearly the huge grizzled Krogan in grey armor.

“Nowhere to go but through you.” I say as I Vanguard charge into him, throwing him against the bulkhead. With my shields now overcharged and glowing with biotic energy, I rise into the air and slam all the stored energy into the ground. Creating a tidal wave of superheated plasma. The stench of ozone fills the air as I step over the crisp bodies of the offending Krogan and into the control room.

** The Normandy War room **

** No POV **

“Liara you need to see this. It’s…it’s.” Traynor passes the datapad to Liara.

“Spirits. That. That’s impossible. Why would she do that?” Garrus says as he sees the recording on the big hologram table.

“Aliens of the galaxy, your time is at an end. Today, our operatives liberated another planet. The planet Chorbal. For centuries the Krogan filth have been polluting this peaceful world, but no more. Now… now the planet is free from their toxic influence and eager to support new life. Human life. However, none of this would be possible without a little help from our newest agent.” Deacon’s unhidden lips twist into a smirk as the video plays.

“Nowhere to go but through you.” The husky voice of a woman filters through her heavy breathing. To any other listener, it would just be a random female soldier talking. But to the crew of the Normandy, especially to Liara, the voice was a message, a taunt. For they all knew who the voice belonged to.

“Turn it off!” Liara shrieks just as the sound of the woman’s biotics charging up begins. They all know what happens next. The ‘Shepard special’. Just Cerberus 2.0 rubbing salt in the wound.

“We’ll find her Liara. We’ll find her.” Garrus says to the softly crying Asari in the dim war room.


	19. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end.

** Chapter 19 **

** Thessia- T’soni Estate **

** No POV **

Aethyta was enjoying her morning cup of tea when an aide ran up to her.

“Matriach! We have an incoming transmission from a cruiser in orbit. It appears to be of human construction but its ID does not match any entry in our database. Preliminary reports suggest that it could belong to the human supremacist group. Orders ma’am?”

“Have we heard from my daughter?” Aethyta sent a flippant glance to the clearly uncomfortable aide.

“No ma’am, no contact has been made with Liara T’soni, although there have been reports that the Normandy has been stolen from the museum on earth.”

Aethyta let out an ungainly snort as she began to laugh at the news.

“So my daughter’s fiancé is also a feisty one eh? I like her already.”

The aide shifted around nervously as she watched her mistress with fearful eyes. “Ma’am, shouldn’t we be more worried about the cruiser in orbit that has its guns pointing right at us?”

“Nah, why bother? My daughter is probably already on her way here. If her soon to be wife is coming along, we don’t have to worry at all. I’ve watched the vids. The mighty commander Shepard wipes the floor with hundreds of reaper forces singlehandedly. I want to see what all the fuss is about.”

Incessant beeping burst forth from the holo emitter in front of the two Asari.

Tapping the interface, Aethyta was not expecting to see the tear streaked face of her daughter on the other side of the line.

“Father, please get to safety. The cruiser is 100% not friendly. Evacuate the estate now, please.”

“Liara, what’s going on? Why have you been crying? Was it Shepard? I swear if she hurt you…”

“Father please, get to safety now. Yes, I am crying because of Shepard, but not because of the reason you are thinking.” Liara looks away from the console and appears to talk to someone on a private channel. “Tell the other matriarchs, we are at war. Whatever you do, do not fire on the main command ship.”

Aethyta stands and starts towards the mansion’s safe room. “Why Liara? If we are at war, why do we not take out the enemy?”

“They have my wife.” Was Liara’s only response.

** The Normandy **

** No POV **

“Do we have a signal?” Liara calls to EDI as her hands work at lightning speeds over the console. Her mind is focused on doing what she does best, collecting information. Information that she is constantly relaying to the two strike teams getting ready in the shuttle bay below.

Ashley is leading the first boarding party. Consisting of Jack, Miranda, Wrex and EDI, they will be storming the bridge and trying to take control of the enemy vessel. The other shuttle holds Garrus, Tali, Javik, James and Grunt. They will be taking the hangar deck and trying to stop as many enemy shuttles from leaving the ship as possible.

“Shepard’s signal located. She is in a shuttle headed for the surface. We are free to commence attack.”

“Friends, today we repel attackers on Thessia. Our names will forever be engraved in history. May the goddess guide you.” Liara says to the crew as their shuttles leave the Normandy,

“Pah, once you saved the galaxy, what’s saving a planet?” Wrex grumbles over the comm.

“Hey Liara, next time leave the motivational speeches to Shepard. Not saying you don’t know how to do a speech, it’s just that Shepard seems to have more…feel behind her.” Joker says earning a smack from an annoyed Liara.

“Breaching in 3…2…1.” Ashley’s voice comes over the comm as the feed shows her shouldering a rocket launcher. A whoosh follows her voice as the rocket speeds forth and slams into the bridge of the enemy ship.

“KROGAN AIRDROP!” Wrex laughs as he jumps out of the shuttle, landing atop the captain of the ship. “Hi, I’m Wrex.” He grins as he finishes off the frightened human with a headbutt, crushing the man’s skull.

Jack and Miranda float down into the room and quickly pin all the soldiers to the walls with their biotics. EDI glides to the main console and goes limp as she opens a direct interface with the enemy mainframe..

“Well, that was no fun.” Jack sighs. “Was lookin for a better fight.”

“Then you can come and help us down in the shuttle bay. They’re like ants, crawling out of the woodwork! Shit, is that a mech?” James shouts above thundering gunfire. A shout of “I am Krogan” is heard following a loud crash.

“Huh, guess that takes care of that. Thanks Grunt.” Grunt’s answering grunt is heard over the comm.

“Pyjack better not be stealing all my fun. Guys, I’m gonna go.” Wrex says as he kicks down the doors to the next compartment.

Jack and Miranda finish off their trapped enemies with offhanded flicks of their wrists and eagerly follow the Krogan, leaving Ashley to guard EDI’s body.

Meanwhile in the shuttle bay, the rest of the crew is huddled behind shipping crates, tearing apart their enemies in a well-practiced symphony of death. Garrus is laughing at the sheer stupidity of his enemies. “This is even easier than shooting husks. They’re literally lining up for my bullets!” His rifle cracks once more and another soldier falls to the ground, dead and spilling brain matter all over the white composite floor.

“At this rate, we will have nobody left to interrogate.” Javik joins in the laughter as he turns three more soldiers into dust.

Grunt gleefully jumps out from behind the crates he was hiding from and charges towards the last group of enemies in the hanger. Crashing through debris and bodies, the last few soldiers scramble to get away from the raging Krogan. Their screams echo through the hangar. Grunt grins at Wrex as the older Krogan comes barrelling through the bulkhead.

“Sorry old man, these were mine.” With a loud harrumph of displeasure, Wrex lumbers past the tank-bred Krogan. “Kid, you’re on fire.”

“Heh, heh, heh.” Grunt follows behind the battlemaster as he wipes off the residual liquor from the crates he crashed through in his blind charge.

“Liara, we have a problem.” Trainor’s voice comes over the comm as the Normandy shudders. Sounds of metal groaning, fill the air and the lights cut off.

“Shepard has boarded us.”

Liara’s blood ran cold.

The hiss of the bulkhead behind her froze her with fear.

“Don’t move Asari.” The modulated husky voice of the soldier behind her sent shivers down her spine.

A cold barrel pressed into the back of her neck. “Get up and walk.”

“Please Shepard, don’t do this.”

The gun pressed harder into her sensitive folds, the metal cutting into her flesh. “How do you know my name?” Shepard growled, kicking her forward.

Liara’s heart broke in two. The voice that had whispered countless I love yous now ground against her ears. Tears slipped from her eyes as she walked slowly in front of her captor. Armored soldiers lined the corridor. She risked a glance backwards and breathing suddenly became too painful to do. Shepard’s usually bright and lively grey eyes were piercing and full of rage. The sharp pain on the back of her crests surprised her more than the crack of the pistol hitting her. Falling to her knees, she was roughly grabbed by two guards and hauled towards the shuttle.

“Package is secure. Moving to extraction now.” Shepard’s gaze swept over Liara’s body. Usually heat and want would follow such a gaze but this time, Shepard’s gaze was ice cold and sharp as glass. Liara pressed further into herself, trying to use her limbs to protect her precious cargo.

“Target is also pregnant. Control please advise?” When static was the only answer, Shepard stormed ahead to assess the situation.

Liara was trapped in her own head, memories of her and Shepard entwined in bed together flooded her mind and she wept. For this time, there was no coming back. Shepard was gone, erased.

When the doors opened again and Shepard stepped through, Liara looked up at her in desperation, eyes ringed in black. Breaking free from her guards’ hold, she cupped Shepard’s face with her hands and pushed forward with her mind. Meeting resistance, she pushed harder, beating against the barriers. Summoning her last strength, she barrelled past Shepard’s defences and burrowed deep into her mind. She could hear Shepard screaming in the physical world but she didn’t care. She kept looking, swimming through memories. _They altered so much. Goddess, Shepard. What did they do to you?_ She could feel Shepard fighting back, pushing her out of her mind. The endless field of stars started to darken rapidly. Shepard was closing her out. _NO! I will not lose you! Never again. You promised Shepard. You promised!_

 _SHEPARD!_ Liara screamed within the mindscape, sinking her fingers into whatever memories floated past her and desperately trying to insert herself into them.

A pulse of pure brilliance burst into existence and stayed there, crusted with darkness. _Joy. Our daughter. Please remember._ Liara fell out of the meld, drained and bleeding from her nose. _But I did it. I cracked the shell of what they did to her. I just need to wait._

Darkness enveloped her as Shepard’s fist collided with her jaw.

 

**Author's Note:**

> All characters owned by bioware and EA belong to them. I'm writing this story for fun only. Not making any money.


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